INTERPRETACIÓN Y ANÁLISIS DEL ESTUDIO DE MERCADO

Strong educational leaders believe in, value and are committed to standards in education such as the vision, teaching and learning, management, and ethics. These allow the principal of the school to support a well-articulated vision that sets a clear direction providing a dual focus on the quality of learning and the quality of teaching. Mr. John as head of school, in his daily activities, seemed to pay the least attention to teaching and learning.

The HODs and teachers described what they saw as a lack of leadership

characteristics in the principal that is quite exasperating for the staff. Mr. John was discussed as reticent, non-committal, indecisive, lacks personality and

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and in “long term decisions” he would like to ponder and think about them so that he could “mull them over and think of consequences and think of better ways of doing it. And invariably one then ends up making a good decision.”

In a primary school many challenges arise during the course of the day, which invariably link to instruction in the classroom. Hoadley’s and Christie’s (2007) research found the importance of parental support and engagement as well as the instructional focus of the school in achieving student gains over time. These issues, according to them, may be important points for school management development of improved student learning outcomes. Leadership dispositions such as passion for the core business of the school are imperative for ongoing improvement and enhanced student achievement. Teachers require much guidance for their many subjects allocated to them and are not always proficient with every topic or task allotted to them. The leadership of a school plays a crucial role in providing the necessary assistance when required.

According to the educators, the leadership of the HODs in Apple Primary School is “straight forward” and “too direct”. Although “too direct” can sometime imply that they do not like it, in this case the educators say that they feel that they get the direction that they desire so they usually find it “inspirational”. The principal says that he encourages the teachers to experiment and take risks in their teaching and tasks. He further reiterates that he has empathy for the teachers, since he was a teacher before and he knows the responsibilities that they face. Coming from this experience, he feels strongly that it is not the principal’s place to visit an educator’s classroom. Mr. John regards this action positively as he sees himself as “respecting” the educator’s space as he does it very gently:

[what] I’ve also learnt, and I’m the same, I’m also a teacher, I feel exactly the same way…You know, that the classroom is a teacher’s kingdom and don’t invade it… You know, don’t you know, that’s their territory, that’s their place and yes, I might be the principal, but I mustn’t invade it… He believes that when an educator’s class is “invaded” then “barriers... go up.”

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You know, I must get permission to enter it, I must enter it with their

knowledge and with their approval and only then can something happen. If I’m invading it, just the barriers are going to go up.

The principal’s stance is that he should not impose his presence in the classroom and would do this very discreetly. He says that he finds excuses, for example, taking a piece of paper to the teacher, to do a quick observation and leave the class. This type of surreptitious action is not transparent enough to allow him to comment on the educator on his or her instructional practice and action. With the result it is not possible to inspire transformation in behaviour that could come with open, honest dialogue about the process of supervision. Educators say that they are frustrated that they do not get in-depth analysis of their teaching, the curriculum and their learners. They do not talk about “barriers” at all, as seen during the Senior Phase discussion.

Janice: I think that to a certain extent it depends on whether… Like I go to him quite often and tell him what I’ve been doing because he’s a Science person as well so he understands what I’m talking about. So I mean he doesn’t actually come in and do anything or evaluate.

Bob: He has come to watch my lessons

Janice: But I’ve requested that he’s done that…[and according to Janice he has not come to her class].

On whether Mr. John comes on his own accord, the educators say:

Bob: I wouldn’t…Ja, no, I wouldn’t say that, um… No, I don’t think he’s that

Precious: No, he doesn’t come

Janice: Not at all. He comes if he has to come, you know, like for you IQMS, maybe if he’s asked to come, but our HOD does all of it. Precious: Or maybe if there’s a message, you know, then he will come to your class then and he’s, ‘Oh what are you doing?’And ‘We’re doing this.’ And then maybe he’ll be with us for 2 minutes and then he’ll walk out…The only time he gets involved is if he’s obviously got a complaint maybe from a parent, but otherwise he leaves you on your own.

This sequence in the focus group interview reveals and concurs with the principal was saying about supervision of educators. It is evident that the principal avoids visiting the educators in the classroom with a result they receive very little or no guidance from him in teaching and learning. The principal thinks that these short

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visits allow him to assess and supervise the teacher. The teachers perceive his lack of visiting the classroom as an avoidance tactic or an inability to guide them.

There were other signs of promise and success. Instructional leadership was provided strongly by the two Heads of Department of the school, Cathy the Foundation Phase HOD and Jane the Senior Primary HOD.

In the absence of leadership from the principal the HODs leadership is more pronounced. Cathy says:

Because in my position I teach a full time grade 1 class. So obviously I have all the aspects of teaching a full time grade 1 class as well as all the aspects involved in being head of department – teacher

development, and managing curriculum… management, dealing with parents both in the pre-primary and in the foundation phase, dealing with the department and all the red tape that they generally require. So it’s a hectic full day.

On a question on how she copes with having a Grade 1 class and being able to deal with all the other duties she replied:

it’s very difficult. It’s very difficult and I have requested one or two extra admin periods (we call them) then my class would go to the library with Mrs (X) and then she would take them for Life Skills. So I’m trying to get those… And it’s very difficult.

As I walked around the school I could verify this as Cathy was a very busy person who saw to all the needs of the Foundation Phase educators and also taught her class with all the concentration it deserved. She was in her class teaching her learners during contact time and did not find excuses to leave her class unattended and thereby losing contact time.