Exploring the use of culturally responsive leadership for conflict management in secondary schools to enhance teaching and learning

Abstract

Conflict takes place in schools repeatedly, involving both teachers and learners. Susceptibility to conflict in various forms could seriously harm the development of a victim in the aspects of his or her emotional soundness, commitment levels, communication, physical well-being, and academic achievement. To successfully enhance teaching and learning in South African secondary schools, a country referred to as a rainbow nation due to its cultural diversity, conflict resolution and management should be a key focus area. How school conflict is managed successfully is of paramount importance, particularly in a country that still grappling with socio-economic restructuring after the end of an apartheid regime characterised by social injustice. Since the emphasis of school conflict management is to create an atmosphere conducive to effective teaching and learning and the successful integration of learners of diverse backgrounds, a vision of the knowledge and application of culturally responsive leadership in conflict management in schools is offered as a tool that school leaders can embrace to effectively manage conflicts in schools to enhance teaching and learning. A total of twenty-four participants were purposively selected from the three secondary schools in the Johannesburg east district, South Africa.The sample of participants included two heads of department, three teachers, and three learners from the Learner Representative Council from three secondary schools in Johannesburg East district, Gauteng. The heads of the department were interviewed whilst the teachers and learners answered a questionnaire. This research gives an overview of the (i) conceptualisation of the term “conflict management” to enhance teaching and learning (ii) the use of school policies in addressing culturally responsive leadership (iii) the use of culturally responsive leadership strategies by the school management to resolve conflict (iv) challenges and successes in implementing conflict management in schools (vi) the use of conflict management to enhance teaching and learning in schools. This study aimed at exploring a culturally responsive leadership approach on conflict management to enhance teaching and learning in selected secondary schools ‘ in the Johannesburg East district, South Africa. This study adopted a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews as well as the answering of a questionnaire. Findings revealed that the school management team understood the concept of culturally responsive leadership as a form of leadership that is conscious of cultural differences that exist within the school environment. Secondly, data revealed that in the handling of conflict, the school management team’s ability in resolving conflict through culturally responsive leadership strategies was limited as members lacked the necessary skills to deal with it effectively. Participants often resort to different unconventional methods which are not necessarily culturally responsive in dealing with conflict. There is an overreliance on educational policies in handling school conflict. The study closes with recommendations and among these is the need to empower the school management team and teachers with culturally responsive conflict management strategies training before they assume their leadership roles to enhance teaching and learning. The researcher recommends that developmental workshops and seminars be established frequently to train existing school management members and that new school management team appointees be empowered with culturally responsive conflict management skills before they assume their leadership positions in the different schools assigned to them.