Improving Quality Education in Rural South African Schools through Shared Leadership Style: A Case Study of Three Rural Secondary Schools
Mlungiseleli Ziduli
and Andrea Mqondiso Buka
Issue: Vol.4 No.8 Article 7 pp.977-992
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023487 | Published online 4th August, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This paper discussed how to improve the quality of education in rural schools in South Africa by advocating for the inclusion of community-based leaders (CBLs) such as traditional leaders, religious leaders and business leaders in school affairs by principals. The study was premised on the observation that principals lack the competencies and capabilities to share leadership with community-based leaders such as traditional, religious and business leaders. The exclusion of community-based leaders in crucial decision-making processes resulted in poor learner performance. The study was grounded on the assumption that sharing leadership expertise by principals would sustain quality learning and teaching culture in rural schools. The belief is that community-based leaders are the most respected people in their communities and therefore their voices can be heard when it comes to parent participation and combating social ills in schools. The study was conducted purposely in poor-performing rural schools whereby community-based leaders were excluded in school matters. A phenomenological study with an interpretive-constructivism paradigm was conducted to establish sustainable principals’ shared leadership roles for quality education. Data collected through interviews in three schools were thematically analysed and it revealed that: Principals lack competent and capable leadership skills to include community-based leaders in school matters. Also, social ills prevail which affect learning and teaching negatively. Furthermore, community based-leaders were only invited when there was a crisis and once the crisis solved, their input was no longer needed. Thus, the authors recommended that the Department of Basic Education could spend more resources on training rural school principals about the importance of including community-based leaders in crucial decision-making processes to improve and sustain quality education in rural areas. The authors also recommend ZiCBLs Model for the improvement of quality education in rural areas.
Keywords: Shared Leadership, Community-Based Leaders, Competencies, Capabilities, Quality Education.
Ahmad, I., Said, H.B. (2013). Role of school principals in promotion of school home relationship: Case of government secondary schools Khyber Parkishtukhwa, Pakistan. International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 4(1), 115-124.
Allie, Fadilah. “The Influence of School Principals’ Leadership Styles on the Effectiveness of Schools.” Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2014.
Buka, Andrea Mqondiso, and Jacob Maisha Molepo. “Principals’ Perspectives on Socio-Psychological Support to Learners in Primary Schools: Caring for Those in Need.” Journal of Social Sciences 42, no. 1–2 (2015): 45–50.
Day, Christopher, Pam Sammons, and Ken Leithwood. Successful School Leadership: Linking with Learning and Achievement: Linking with Learning. McGraw-Hill Education (UK), 2011.
Dinham, Steve. How to Get Your School Moving and Improving: An Evidence-Based Approach. Aust Council for Ed Research, 2008.
DuFour, Richard, and Mike Mattos. “Improve Schools.” Educational Leadership 70, no. 7 (2013): 34–39.
Gamede, Vangeli Wiseman. “Constraints to Effective Governance by the Parent Component of the SGBs in Rural South Africa.” International Journal of Educational Sciences 13, no. 2 (2016): 194–201.
García, Lily Eskelsen, and Otha Thornton. “The Enduring Importance of Parental Involvement.” NEA Today, 2014.
Heck, Ronald H, and Philip Hallinger. “Assessing the Contribution of Distributed Leadership to School Improvement and Growth in Math Achievement.” American Educational Research Journal 46, no. 3 (2009): 659–89.
Ice, Megan, Amrit Thapa, and Jonathan Cohen. “Recognizing Community Voice and a Youth-Led School-Community Partnership in the School Climate Improvement Process.” School Community Journal 25, no. 1 (2015): 9–28.
Itumeleng, Setlhodi-Mohapi, and Lebeloane Ldm Oupa. “The Role of School Management Teams in Underperforming Schools: A Matter of Values.” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5, no. 3 (2014): 475.
Makibi, Marabele Alphoncina. “The Nature of Teacher Conflict and Conflict Management in Sixteen Selected Primary Schools in Lesotho.,” 2010.
Masha, Ben Maphoke, and others. “The Role of School Management Teams and Parents in Learner Achievement.” University of Pretoria, 2017.
Mashau, Takalani Samuel, Lufuno Reginald Kone, and Humbulani Nancy Mutshaeni. “Improving Participation in Quality Education in South Africa: Who Are the Stakeholders?” International Journal of Educational Sciences 7, no. 3 (2014): 559–67.
Mbokazi, Sandile Sam. “The Role of Traditional Leaders in School Governance: Learning from Two Communities in KwaZulu-Natal.,” 2015.
McMillan, James H, and Sally Schumacher. Research in Education: Evidence-Based Inquiry. Pearson, 2010.
Mestry, Raj, and Jan Khumalo. “Governing Bodies and Learner Discipline: Managing Rural Schools in South Africa through a Code of Conduct.” South African Journal of Education 32, no. 1 (2012): 97–110.
Mohapi, S J, and T Netshitangani. “Views of Parent Governors’ Roles and Responsibilities of Rural Schools in South Africa.” Cogent Social Sciences 4, no. 1 (2018): 1537056.
Seashore Louis, Karen, Beverly Dretzke, and Kyla Wahlstrom. “How Does Leadership Affect Student Achievement? Results from a National US Survey.” School Effectiveness and School Improvement 21, no. 3 (2010): 315–36.
Sebastian, James, and Elaine Allensworth. “The Influence of Principal Leadership on Classroom Instruction and Student Learning: A Study of Mediated Pathways to Learning.” Educational Administration Quarterly 48, no. 4 (2012): 626–63.
Sheldon, Steven B, and Joyce L Epstein. “Getting Students to School: Using Family and Community Involvement to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism.” School Community Journal 14, no. 2 (2004): 39–56.
Sibanda, Lucy. “Understanding Distributed Leadership in South African Schools: Challenges and Prospects.” Issues in Educational Research 27, no. 3 (2017): 567–81.
Ziduli, Mlungiseleli. “The Managerial Leadership Styles of School Principals for School Effectiveness: A Study of Six Secondary Schools of the Dutywa Education District,” 2016.
Ziduli, Mlungiseleli, Andrea Mqondiso Buka, Maisha Molepo, and Mlungiseleli Morris Jadezweni. “Leadership Styles of Secondary School Principals: South African Cases.” International Journal of Educational Sciences 22, no. 1–3 (2018): 1–10.
Dr. Mlungiseleli Ziduli is currently a permanent Lecturer at the Faculty of Education in the Foundation Phase Department, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. His research focuses on school leadership, school governance and management, especially leadership styles.
Dr. Andrea Mqondiso Buka is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education in the continuing professional teacher development at Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. His research focuses on inclusive education and educational management and policy, especially psycho-pedagogical research.
Ziduli,Mlungiseleli and Buka, Andrea Mqondiso.“Improving Quality Education in Rural South African Schools through Shared Leadership Style: A Case Study of Three Rural Secondary Schools.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.8 (2023): 977-992. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023487
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
