Exploring teachers’ experiences in the selection processes of school leaders.

Abstract

The process of selecting school leaders in South African schools has been marred with controversy for some time. Despite guidelines and policies in place to select school leaders. Selection committee members were not conducting the processes according to the rules and requirements of South African School Act. Teachers and chairperson of School Governing Bodies encountered numerous problems in performing their tasks. The focus of this study was on exploring teachers’ experiences in the selection processes of school leaders. The following research questions were addressed in this study:  What are teachers’ experiences in the selection processes of school leaders?  What factors influence teachers’ experiences in the selection processes of school leaders? The qualitative method underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The sample of this study consisted of six teachers in four schools who have the experience of representing their fellow colleagues in the selection processes of school leaders. The study was situated in the Pinetown District of the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to select the teachers engaged in the selection processes of school leaders. The participants were selected based on their previous experiences of involvement as teacher representatives in the selection processes of school leader positions. The findings of the study revealed that even though there are educational selection policy guidelines that are made available to guide schools on how selection processes should be conducted, schools are still experiencing major challenges with some stakeholders who are not very knowledgeable about the school leader selection process. The selection processes of school leaders in schools is fraught with many problems with teachers experiencing numerous problems in performing their task as members on the panel of selection committee of school leaders. Some of the problems emanated from the nature and the way the selection committee was composed. Union interference and lack of educational knowledge amongst some parents and some members who did not have a conception of what is required from teachers in order to qualify for senior position (school leader), was identified in this study. Subsequently, their ability to conduct interviews and select school leader was questionable. Some selection vii committee members are not trained in selection and are not familiar with school leader selection procedures. The findings of the study further suggested that there are also underlying factors that affected the selection processes of school leaders. These factors ranged from the personal hidden agendas of selection committee members; corruption and favouritism, subjectivity and bias by committee members in the selection process; inapt selection and scoring criteria by selection committee members; and the lack of expertise which led to manipulation of the process by selection committee members. The results of this study may not be generalised to all schools in South Africa. Recommendations proffered included: the training and re-training of selection committee members which should be an ongoing process of training and having the scoring criteria negotiated and decided by the committee members prior to the selection process.