Exploring instructional leadership practices of campus managers in influencing students’ academic achievements in TVET colleges in Gauteng and Mpumalanga, provinces of South Africa

Abstract

The South African Constitution (RSA, 1996), Section 29, states that “everyone has a right to basic education, including adult basic education, and to further education, which the State, through reasonable measures, most make progressively available and accessible”. It was on this basis that TVET colleges were established to accommodate young school leavers and adults with skills, knowledge, and good attitude in preparing them for the world of work. Studies on leadership at TVET colleges and poor performance revealed that poor performance was some of the main findings in TVET colleges. This study therefore aimed to explore instructional leadership practices of campus managers in influencing students’ academic achievement at TVET colleges in the Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces. A qualitative research approach with a case-study design method was used in this study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select participating TVET colleges and at each TVET college, ten people participated. This included campus managers, two HoDs (one NCV and one NATED), two lecturers (one NCV and one NATED) and five students (two NCV, two NATED and one SRC). Data analysis for this study was done through coding and organised into categories and themes which were interpreted. The findings of the study linked to the literature revealed that there are weaknesses concerning the instructional leadership practices of campus managers in executing instructional leadership roles to ensure that the teaching and learning process is effective. Campus managers are not aware of the roles they should play as instructional leaders in monitoring the entire process of teaching and learning. They believe that HoDs can play those roles and provide reports to campus managers concerning the teaching and learning process. Campus managers further highlighted that their work overload and insufficient time were some of the factors that made them not execute their instructional practices as they are expected to. This led them to delegate their instructional tasks to HoDs, and them focusing more on administrative duties. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to assist campus managers. One of the recommendations was to advise the DHET or TVET colleges’ head offices to give campus managers intensive trainings on instructional leadership. These training, workshops, courses, or seminars would assist in making campus managers know their roles as instructional leaders and this would enable them to support, monitor and develop lecturers for the improvement of students’ academic achievement.