Exploring care and support leadership: experiences of women principals in Pinetown District, Kwazulu-Natal.

Abstract

This study explored the perceptions and experiences of women principals in the Pinetown District of KwaZulu-Natal regarding care and support leadership and its impact on school culture, teachers' morale, and learners' performance. In many South African schools, particularly those that are under-resourced, school leaders are required not only to provide instructional direction but also to offer emotional and psychosocial support to both staff and learners. Women leaders often employ relational, caring, and empathetic leadership styles; however, their contributions in this regard are frequently undervalued and under-researched. This research therefore seeks to foreground their voices and highlight their leadership practices within the context of care and support leadership. Emotional Intelligence (EI) theory, as described by Goleman (1995, 1998) and Mayer and Salovey (1997), provided the theoretical framework. EI identified self-awareness, selfregulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills as key elements of effective leadership. This model offers a rich context in which to study how women leaders build trust, establish positive relationships, manage conflict, and address the emotional needs of teachers and students. Through the crossroads of care, support, and EI, the study explored how emotionally intelligent leadership supports caring and inclusive school environments. This study adopted a qualitative research approach, supported by a case study research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis to generate rich insights from participants at selected schools in the Pinetown District. The study examined how care and support leadership are conceptualised by women principals, how these practices are enacted to promote well-being, and the challenges they encounter, including policy pressures, structural disadvantages, and gendered expectations. The findings showed that care and support leadership enhances teacher morale, sustains collective school cultures, and positively affects students' engagement and academic performance. The study contributes to the gendered and relational leadership conversation in South African schools and invokes legitimation of care, support, and EI as core elements of effective and transformational school leadership.