The role of school leadership in transforming township and rural schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study aims to explore the perceptions of various scholars and civil society that the role of distributive school leadership is important to the transformation of Gauteng township and rural schools in South Africa. The literature reviewed was focussed on the importance of leadership in the transformation of schools in South Africa, Africa and globally, and assisted the researcher to investigate the importance of distributive leadership in schools. The perceptions and beliefs of scholars are that distributed school leadership has the potential of transforming township and rural schools into effective schools if extended leadership – beyond that of a school principal – is involved in the development of schools. In this study, a qualitative approach is used to explore the role of distributive leadership in the transformation of a township school and a rural school in Gauteng Province and was of a benefit to the nature of this study. This study is focussed on the concept of transformation which in this case is characterised by the school system, becoming effective and appropriate to the context in which it operates. Purposeful sampling was used to identify the schools’ leadership for the qualitative study. The study was conducted on a sample of one township primary school and one rural primary school in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. Data were collected using observation of schools and interviews with schools’ leaders. Interviews with the principal, one of the school management team members and two parent leaders were undertaken in both schools. Observation of the activities of school leaders, the environment in both schools, and the schools’ leaders were interviewed. The findings of the study indicate that the full involvement and commitment of the entire school leadership team can overcome the challenges – including those of lack of resources and poor support from the Gauteng Department of Education – facing township and rural schools. The main recommendation of the study is that a school leadership team should establish trust in working together and consider knowledge, skills and expertise when setting up roles for each member of the team.