The role of gratitude in enhancing leadership : exploring the relationship between teachers and head of departments

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the significance of gratitude in enabling HODs to enhance their leadership role and to develop and support teachers by improving relationships at selected schools in Gauteng. Gratitude entails leadership showing appreciation for and acknowledging teachers’ performance to improve relationships and their enhance participation. The study found that practising gratitude enabled HODs to enhance their leadership role and support teachers as well as to improve relationships at selected schools in Gauteng. The results show that gratitude is perceived by both HODs and teachers to include kindness, appreciation, acknowledgement, contentment, consideration and authenticity. Furthermore, as role models, if HODs display gratitude it encourages and motivates both teachers and learners. The values that underpin leaders through the practice of gratitude were analysed through the teachings of ubuntu, communication, cooperation, compassion, trust and respect. Accordingly, communication, fairness, caring, mutual respect, empathy and appreciation can help improve relationships between HODs and teachers. In addition, gratitude was discussed in line with the social cognitive theory, which argues that a show of gratitude a show of gratitude when interacting with others can make others more grateful, thereby increasing its positive effect (Froh, Bono, Fan, Emmons, Henderson, Harris et al. 2014:132). This study applied a qualitative approach to explore the perceptions of HODs and teachers on the role of gratitude in leadership. A number of objectives were identified: to find out the different ways that HODs can use to practise gratitude; to uncover the sorts of challenges faced by the HODs and leaders in practising gratitude and how it affects educator achievement; and to establish the extent to which HODs’ and teachers’ relationships can be improved through the practice of gratitude. A single case study conducted in a selected Gauteng school was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the use or lack thereof of gratitude by HODs. Convenience sampling was used to identify participants who included leaders (Principal, Deputy and 3 HODs), who were interviewed individually, and nine teachers. Data were collected by holding interactive individual interviews with leaders, a focus group discussion with the nine teachers, as well as document analysis, meetings minutes, school newsletters, journal entries and observations. A workshop was conducted for the leadership of the school to share the significance of acknowledging teachers’ efforts with the aim of maintaining good relations by employing the agreed values in the school. Accordingly, it was found that HODs should devise their own strategies for displaying gratitude that incorporate values that motivate and encourage teachers in accordance with ubuntu, communication, cooperation, compassion, trust and respect to build fruitful relationships between HODs and teachers. This clearly shows that school values and constitutional values work hand in hand to ensure that the manner in which leaders’ communicate with teachers incorporate fairness, which brings about mutual respect, empathy and appreciation towards teachers. The study also identified possible negative effects of gratitude, including lack of professionalism, increased conflict. The effects of a lack of gratitude include decreased educator achievement as a result of negativity, dissatisfaction and low self-esteem, resulting in a lack of commitment and teachers leaving the profession, ultimately affecting learners’ performance. In conclusion, if gratitude is shown constitutional values will be institutionalised.

Hierdie studie is uitgevoer om die belangrikheid van dankbaarheid te ondersoek om die Departementshoofde in staat te stel om hul leierskapsrolle te bevorder en onderwysers te ondersteun en om verhoudings by geselekteerde skole in Gauteng te verbeter. Dankbaarheid behels die waardering en erkenning van die prestasie van onderwysers deur die leierskap in die verbetering van verhoudings en die bevordering van deelname deur onderwysers. Bevindinge wys die belangrikheid daarvan om dankbaarheid te beoefen om HODs in staat te stel om hul leiersrol te bevorder en om onderwysers te ontwikkel en te ondersteun om verhoudings by geselekteerde skole in Gauteng te verbeter. Resultate toon dat persepsies van HODs en onderwysers vriendelikheid, waardering, erkenning, tevredenheid, oorweging en egtheid insluit. Verder bring die mate waartoe HODs dankbaarheid aanmoedig, aanmoediging en motivering deur as rolmodelle vir beide onderwysers en leerders op te tree. Die waardes wat leiers ondersteun deur die beoefening van dankbaarheid is geanaliseer deur die leringe van Ubuntu, kommunikasie, samewerking, deernis, vertroue en respek. Hierdie bogenoemde waardes kan help om die verhoudings tussen HODs en onderwysers te verbeter in kommunikasie, regverdigheid, versorging, wedersydse respek, empatie en waardering. Die rol van dankbaarheid is getoon in ooreenstemming met die sosiaal-kognitiewe teorie, wat argumenteer dat dankbare denke wanneer u met ander omgaan en ander dankbaar kan maak en sodoende die positiewe effek daarvan verhoog (Froh, Bono, Fan, Emtnons, Henderson, Harris, Leggio, Wood, 2014: 132). Hierdie studie maak gebruik van die kwalitatiewe benadering om die persepsies van HODs en onderwysers rakende die rol van dankbaarheid in leierskap deur die volgende subdoelstellings te ondersoek; die verskillende maniere uit te vind wat HODs kan gebruik om dankbaarheid te beoefen; ontbloot die soort uitdagings wat die Departementshoofde ondervind met die beoefening van dankbaarheid in die leierskap en hoe dit opvoedersprestasie beïnvloed en laastens vasstel in watter mate HODs en onderwysers se verhoudings deur die praktyk van dankbaarheid verbeter kan word ‘N Enkele gevallestudie in 'n geselekteerde Gautengse skool is gebruik om 'n diepgaande begrip te kry van die indiensneming of die gebrek daaraan aan dankbaarheid deur HODs. Gemaksteekproefneming is gebruik om deelnemers te identifiseer wat die leiers (skoolhoof, adjunk- en 3 departementshoofde) insluit wat individueel ondervra is en onderwysers (9 onderwysers) wat aan 'n fokusgroeponderhoud deelgeneem het. Die gegewens is versamel deur middel van interaktiewe individuele onderhoude, fokusgroepbesprekings, dokumentanalise, notules van vergaderings, nuusbriewe op skool, joernaalinskrywings en waarnemings. 'N Werkswinkel is afgesluit vir die leierskap van die skool om die belangrikheid van erkenning van die pogings van onderwysers te deel met die doel om goeie verhoudings te handhaaf deur die ooreengekome waardes in die skool te gebruik. Die bevindinge van die studie dui aan dat HODs hul eie strategieë moet vind om dankbaarheid te betoon deur waardes in te sluit wat onderwysers motiveer en aanmoedig in ooreenstemming met Ubuntu, kommunikasie, samewerking, deernis, vertroue en respek om vrugbare verhoudings tussen HODs en onderwysers te bou. Dit het duidelik getoon dat die skool en die grondwetlike waardes om te verseker dat die wyse van kommunikasie regverdigheid insluit wat wedersydse respek, empatie en waardering teenoor onderwysers bewerkstellig. Hierdie studie het die moontlike negatiewe gevolge van dankbaarheid ontbloot, wat die gebrek aan professionaliteit en konflik insluit, en hoe die gebrek aan dankbaarheid uiteindelik die prestasie van opvoeders beïnvloed deur negatiwiteit, ontevredenheid, lae selfbeeld, wat daartoe lei dat onderwysers die beroep verlaat en 'n gebrek aan toewyding wat 'n invloed het op leerder se prestasie. Ten slotte sal konstitusionele waardes geïnstitusionaliseer word as dankbaarheid getoon word.

Lolu cwaningo lwenzelwe ukubheka ukubaluleka kokubonga ekunikeni amandla ama-HOD ukuthuthukisa iqhaza lawo lobuholi futhi athuthukise futhi asekele othisha ukuthuthukisa ubudlelwano ezikoleni ezikhethiwe eGauteng. Ukubonga kufaka ukwazisa nokwazisa ukusebenza kothisha ngobuholi ekwenzeni ngcono ubudlelwano nokwandisa ukubamba iqhaza kothisha. Ukutholwa kukhombisa ukubaluleka kokwenza ukubonga ekunikeni amandla ama-HODs ukuthuthukisa iqhaza lawo lobuholi nasekuthuthukiseni nasekusekeleni othisha ukwenza ngcono ubudlelwano ezikoleni ezikhethiwe eGauteng. Imiphumela ikhombisa ukuthi imibono ye-HODs nothisha ifaka umusa, ukwazisa, ukuvuma, ukwaneliseka, ukucatshangelwa nobuqiniso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinga lapho ama-HOD ekhombisa ukubonga kuletha isikhuthazo kanye nenkuthazo ngokusebenza njengezibonelo kubo bothisha nakubafundi. Amagugu asekela abaholi ngomkhuba wokubonga ahlaziywa ngezifundiso zika Ubuntu, ukuxhumana, ukubambisana, ububele, ukwethembana nokuhlonipha. Lamagugu ashiwo ngenhla angasiza ekuthuthukiseni ubudlelwano phakathi kwe-HODs nothisha ekuxhumaneni, ukulingana, ukukhombisa ukunakekela, ukuhloniphana, ukuzwela nokwazisa. Indima yokubonga yakhonjiswa ngokuhambisana nomqondo wokucabanga komphakathi, othi leyo ndlela yokucabanga yokubonga lapho uxhumana nabanye futhi ingenza abanye babonge ngokwengeziwe futhi ngaleyo ndlela ikhulisa umphumela wayo omuhle (Froh, Bono, Fan, Emtnons, Henderson, Harris, Leggio, Wood, 2014: 132). Lolu cwaningo lusebenzisa indlela efanelekile yokuhlola imibono ye-HOD kanye nothisha mayelana neqhaza lokubonga ebuholini ngalezi zinhloso ezingezansi ezilandelayo; thola izindlela ezahlukahlukene amaHOD angazisebenzisa ukwenza ukubonga; kwembula uhlobo lwezinselelo ezibhekene namaHOD ekusebenziseni ukubonga ebuholini nokuthi ikuthinta kanjani ukufeza kwabafundisi futhi ekugcineni kutholakale ukuthi ubudlelwano beHODs nothisha bungathuthukiswa kanjani ngokubonga. Isifundo esisodwa ecaleni lesikole esikhethiwe saseGauteng sisetshenziselwe ukuthola ukuqonda okujulile ngokuqashwa noma ukuntuleka kwawo okubonga ngamaHOD. Isampula yokulungiselela isetshenziselwa ukukhomba ababambe iqhaza ababefaka abaholi (Othishanhloko, Amaphini kanye nama-HOD ama-3) abaxoxwa mathupha ngothisha (othisha abangu-9) ababambe iqhaza kwinhlolokhono yeqembu eligxile. Imininingwane iqoqwe ngokuxoxisana nomuntu ngamunye, ukuxoxisana ngeqembu okugxilwe kulo, ukuhlaziywa kwamadokhumenti, amaminithi emihlangano, izincwadi zezindaba zesikole, okubhalwe kumaphephabhuku kanye nokubonwayo. Kwaphethwa umhlangano wokusebenzela ubuholi besikole ukuze babelane ngokubaluleka kokuvuma imizamo yothisha ngenhloso yokugcina ubudlelwano obuhle ngokusebenzisa amanani avumelanayo esikoleni. Okutholakele kulolu cwaningo kukhombisa ukuthi amaHOD kufanele athole amasu awo okubonisa ukubonga ngokufaka amagugu agqugquzela futhi akhuthaze othisha ngokuhambisana nobuntu, ukuxhumana, ukubambisana, ububele, ukwethembana nokuhlonipha ukwakha ubudlelwano obunezithelo phakathi kwe-HODs nothisha. Lokhu kukhombise ngokusobala ukuthi amagugu esikole kanye nawomthethosisekelo wokuqinisekisa ukuthi indlela yezokuxhumana ifaka ukulunga okuletha inhlonipho yokubonisana, uzwela nokwazisa othisha. Lolu cwaningo luthole imiphumela emibi yokubonga efaka ukuntuleka kobungcweti kanye nokungqubuzana nokuthi ukuntula ukubonga kugcina kuthinta kanjani impumelelo yabafundisi ngokusebenzisa budedengu, ukungagculiseki, ukuzithemba okuphansi okuholele ekutheni othisha bashiye lo msebenzi kanye nokuntuleka kokuzibophezela okuthinta ukusebenza komfundi. Sengiphetha, uma ukubonga kukhonjiswa amanani womthethosisekelo azofakwa esikhungweni.