Exploring academic leadership of teaching and learning in selected teacher training colleges in Eswatini

Abstract

This study explored and gained an in-depth understanding of academic leadership concerning teaching and learning in selected Eswatini Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) from the perspectives of principals, vice principals, heads of departments (HODs), lecturers and students. The researcher examined how leaders of these colleges influence the culture of teaching and learning in the TTCs, the challenges they faced and proposed strategies that can be used to enhance academic leadership of teaching and learning. Through the use of a qualitative approach located in an interpretive paradigm, this multiple case design-based study involved participants from two government TTCs in Eswatini. Individual interviews, focus group interviews, and document analysis were utilised for collecting data. While the individual interviews involved the principals, vice principals, and HODs, the focus group interviews involved lecturers and students. The thematic analysis revealed supervising and monitoring teaching and learning, provision of teaching and learning resources as well as setting the vision, giving direction and administrative roles as the four key academic leadership roles of principals, vice principals and HODs in the TTCs. These roles were shared among the college leaders. These leaders faced numerous challenges which included staff attitudes; unethical conduct; insufficient resources including funds, material, and human resources; bureaucracy; lack of autonomy; absence of formal preparation and induction programme for newly appointed college leaders; and unclear policies guiding academic leadership of teaching and learning. It is recommended that the TTCs should induct newly appointed college leaders through a programme that focuses largely on leadership and management. Also, the TTCs should be afforded some autonomy which would allow them to control the procurement of resources like teaching and learning materials, control funds as well as recommend staff for recruitment.

Lolucwaningo luhlolisisile futsi lwatfola kuvisisa lokujulile ngebuholi betemfundvo lephakeme macondzana nekufundzisa nekufundza Emakolishi Ekucecesha Bothishela AseSwatini (e-TTC) lakhetsiwe ngekwemibono yabothishelanhloko, emasekela abothishelanhloko, tinhloko tematiko (ema-HOD), bafundzisi kanye netitjudeni. Lolucwaningo lwachubeka futsi lwahlola kutsi labaholi bemakolishi bawufaka kanjani umtselela esikweni lekufundzisa nekufundza kuma-TTC, tinsayeya lababukana nato kanye namasu lahlongotwako lokutfutfukisa buholi betemfundvo bekufundzisa nekufundza. Lolucwaningo lwasebentisa indlela yebungako letfolakala kumcondvo kudayagramu lehumushekako. Lona bekungumklamo welucwaningo lolumkhakhaminyenti lolugcile emakolishi lamabili ahulumende ekucecesha bothishela Eswatini. Kute kugcogcwe imininingwane (idatha) kwasetjentiswa tingcoco tebantfu ngamunye, tingcoco temacembu lokugcilwe kuto kanye nekuhlatiywa kwemibhalo kwasetjentiswa. Tingcoco tebantfu ngamunye tachutjwa kubothishelanhloko, kumasekela abothishelanhloko lamabili kanye nema-HOD lamane, ngesikhatsi kuchutjwa tingcogco nemacembu lamabili lekugcilwe kuwo nebafundzisi labasitfupha kanye netitjudeni letisitfupha letivela ekolishi ngalinye lokwenta-ke tingcoco temacembu lamane lokugcilwe kuwo. Ngekuhlatiywa kwengcikitsi, lolucwaningo lwaveta kuvisisa lokutsi akufananane mayelana netindzima letidlalwa baholi betemfundvo lephakeme ekufundziseni nasekufundzeni. Lokukhulu lokwatfolakala kwakhombisa kutsi kugadza nekwelusa kufundzisa nekufundza, kuniketa tinsitakufundza nekufundzisa, kuhlela umbononchanti kanye nekukhomba indlela kanye nekuba nendzima yekulawula kwatsatfwa njengetintfo letibalulekile letine tetindzima letidlalwa buhloli betemfundvo lephakeme tabothishelanhloko, emasekela abothishelalanhloko kanye nema-HOD kuma-TTC. Letindzima letidlalwako tabelwa baholi bemakolishi. Labaholi bahlangabetana netinsayeya letinengi kakhulu, njengetimongcondvo tebasebenti (bothishela), kungatiphatsi ngendlela lefanele, tinsitakufundza letingeneli kufaka ekhatsi timali, imethiriyeli kanye nemtfombolusito lobantfu, kuphatfwa kwelihhovisi, kungakhoni kutimela, kungabi khona kulungiselela lokuhlelekile kanye netinhlelo tekungeniswa kwebaholi bemakolishi labasandza kucashwa kanye netinchubomgomo letingacaci letikhomba indlela baholi betemfundvo lephakeme betekufundzisa nekufundza. Kunconywa kutsi ema-TTC abe neluhlelo lokungenisa nekufundzisa baholi basemakolishi lasandza kucashwa. Loluhlelo lokungeniswa nekufundziswa kufanele lugcile kakhulu ebuholini nasekuphatseni. Kusungulwa kwekutimela lokutsite nako kuyanconywa kute kuvunyelwe lulawulo lwetinsitakufundza njengekutsengwa kwetintfo tekufundzisa nekufundza, kulawulwa kwetimali kanye nekucashwa kwebasebenti lokufanele kwentiwe ngekhatsi kuma-TTC.

Lolu cwaningo luhlolisise futhi lwazuza ukuqonda okujulile ngobuholi bezemfundo maqondana nokufundisa nokufunda emaKolishi Okuqeqesha Othisha ase-Eswatini (KOO) akhethiwe ngokwemibono yothishanhloko, amasekela-thishanhloko, izinhloko zeminyango (ababuye baziwe ngama-HOD), abafundisi nabafundi. Ucwaningo luphinde lwahlola ukuthi laba baholi bamakolishi banethonya kanjani esikweni lokufundisa nokufunda kuma-KOO, izinselelo ababhekana nazo kanye namasu ahlongozwayo okuthuthukisa ubuholi bezemfundo bokufundisa nokufunda. Ucwaningo lwamukele indlela yekhwalithethivu etholakala kumqondo wokutolika. Lona bekuwumklamo wocwaningo oluningi olugxile emakolishi amabili kahulumeni okuqeqesha othisha e-Eswatini. Izingxoxo zomuntu ngamunye, izingxoxo zamaqembu okugxilwe kuzo kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kwasetshenziswa ukuze kuqoqwe idatha. Inhlolokhono yomuntu ngamunye yenziwe nothishanhloko ababili, amasekela-thishanhloko amabili kanye nama-HOD amane, kwathi izinhlolokhono ezimbili zamaqembu agxilile zaqashwa nabafundisi abayisithupha kanye nabafundi abayisithupha bekolishi ngalinye benza isamba senhlolokhono yamaqembu amane. Ngokuhlaziywa kwetimu, ucwaningo lwembula ukuqonda okufanayo ngezindima zobuholi bezemfundo ekufundiseni nasekufundeni. Okutholakele okukhulu kubonise ukuthi ukwengamela nokuqapha ukufundisa nokufunda, ukuhlinzeka ngezinsiza zokufundisa nokufunda, ukubeka umbono kanye nokunikeza isiqondiso kanye nokuba neqhaza lokuphatha kubhekwa njengezindima ezine ezibalulekile zobuholi kwezemfundo kothishanhloko, osekela-thishanhloko kanye nama-HOD kuma-KOO. Lezi zindima zabelwana phakathi kwabaholi bekolishi. Laba baholi babhekene nezinselelo eziningi, njengezimo zengqondo zabasebenzi, ukuziphatha okungalungile, izinsiza ezinganele ezihlanganisa izimali, izinto ezibonakalayo kanye nezinsiza zabantu, ukuphathwa kwehhovisi, ukuntuleka kokuzimela, ukungabi khona kokulungiselela okusemthethweni kanye nezinhlelo zokungeniswa kwabaholi bamakolishi abasanda kuqashwa kanye nezinqubomgomo ezingacacile eziqondisa ubuholi bezemfundo. ukufundisa nokufunda. Kutuswa ukuthi ama-KOO abe nohlelo lokujwayezwa kwabaholi abasanda kuqashwa basemakolishi. Uhlelo lokungeniswa kufanele lugxile kakhulu ebuholini nasekuphatheni. Ukusungulwa kokunye ukuzimela kuyatuswa ukuze kuvunyelwe ukulawula izinsiza ezifana nokuthengwa kwezinto zokufundisa nokufunda, ukulawulwa kwezimali kanye nokuqashwa kwabasebenzi okufanele kwenziwe ngaphakathi kuyi- KOO.