Understanding the principals’ leadership role in promoting teaching and learning in the 21st century.

Abstract

The study reported in this document was conducted as a research project towards a Masters’ degree (MEd). The study focused on exploring the principals’ leadership role in promoting teaching and learning in the 21st century by adopting the interpretive, qualitative, multiple case study approach, consisting of ten purposively selected principals from the uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative approach was adopted because it allowed the participants to share their experiences and views. It aimed at exploring how the principals practised their leadership role in the 21st century. Instructional leadership theories underpinned this research study. Semi-structured interviews, through telephonic and face-to-face interviews, as well as document reviews were used to generate data. The data was thematically analysed. Both local and international literature was reviewed to understand the principals’ leadership and their role in promoting teaching and learning in the 21st century. The findings suggest that the principals’ leadership played a major role in promoting effective teaching and learning. Principals also practised instructional leadership as they have influenced and guided educators to teach based on the collective vision, principals’ instructional guidance and expectations. However, principals were overwhelmed by the different aspects that their job entails. The findings also affirm that the principals’ role is changing in order to meet the new demands of modern schooling in the 21st century. The recommendations in the study were that the principals have to find the right balance between administrative tasks, management and leadership of the school. They must also find a balance between all the roles and functions of a principal in order for them to be highly effective in promoting teaching and learning. There is also a need for principals to engage more stakeholders with the right expertise to assist where they fall short. This would allow principals more time to focus more on promoting teaching and learning. The school principals should also lobby the Department of Basic Education to come with programmes that are relevant to modern day schooling and will assist with promoting teaching and learning. These programmes should focus on areas of need and also prepare the principals for 21st century schooling.