Exploring the practices of school principals in servant leadership

Abstract

Die mees deurslaggewende kwessie in skoolleierskap vandag is die doeltreffendheid van leierskap. Daar word van die skoolhoof verwag om aanvaarbare waardes uit te beeld en uitstekende prestasie te fasiliteer. Hoe kan skoolhoofde gehalteproduksie in die leiding van die skool verseker, asook professionaliteit en aanvaarde werksetiek, en steeds op die voorpunt bly van die 21ste eeu wat gekonfronteer word met die vierde industriële revolusie oor leierskap? Dit is een van die mees kritieke vrae wat geopper moet word. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om skoolhoofde se praktyke van dienende leierskap in skole te verken. Skoolhoofde, as leiers, het uit opvoedkundige instellings gekom waar hulle as skoolhoofde en leiers opgelei is. Die verwagting is dus dat hulle vermoëns sal hê om te lei en invloed sal hê op volgelinge. Die praktyke word waargeneem deur diegene wat deur die skoolhoof gelei word. Skoolhoofde is betrokke by daardie praktyke om diegene rondom hulle te beïnvloed. Skole het deesdae verskeie soorte swak leierskap en skoolhoofde moet vasstaan ​​as agente van verandering om die situasie te verbeter. Skoolhoofde moet doeltreffend wees in die beoefening van dienende leierskap in skole as ’n manier van bekamping van die uitdagings wat hulle in die gesig staar. Doeltreffendheid is nodig vir skoolleierskap om sukses te behaal. Daar word voorgestel dat dienende leierskap die eienskappe het wat kan help om die doeltreffendheid van skoolleierskap te verbeter. Deur dienende leierskap te beoefen, kan skoolhoofde skoolleierskap beïnvloed en ’n impak daarop hê. Die studie het dienende leierskap en die Kultuurhistoriese Aktiwiteitsteorie (CHAT) as teoretiese raamwerke betrek. Dienende leierskap is gebruik om die praktyke van die skoolhoofde te interpreteer, terwyl CHAT gebruik is om die bevindinge in terme van kultuur en konteks te identifiseer en te verduidelik. Die studie het gevallestudie-metodologie gebruik om sy doel te bereik. Twee skole is gekies; beide openbare skole in die landelike gebied van Maseru. Die studie het fokusgroepe, onderhoude en waarneming betrek as ’n manier om data te genereer. Daar was twee fokusgroepe, een uit elke skool. Daar was 8 lede in elke fokusgroep. Die onderhoud is met skoolhoofde van die twee skole gevoer. Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat skoolhoofde dienende leierskap beoefen het. Een basiese kenmerk van dienende leierskap is om te dien. In die beoefening van dienende leierskap het bevindinge aangedui dat skoolhoofde interne en eksterne belanghebbendes gedien het. Die interne belanghebbendes het onderwysers en leerders ingesluit. Onderwysers word gedien deur hul moraal te verhoog, hulle te bemagtig en vrede en stabiliteit in die skool te bevorder. Leerders word gedien deur hul moraal en motivering te verbeter.

The most crucial issue in school leadership today is the effectiveness of leadership. The school principal is expected to portray acceptable values and facilitate excellent performance. How can school principals ensure quality production in leading the school, professionalism, accepted work ethics, and still remain at the cutting edge of 21 century, that is faced with 4th industrial revolution on leadership, is one of the most critical questions to be raised?

This study aimed to explore school principals’ practices of servant leadership in schools. School principals, as leaders, came out of educational institutions where they were trained as school principals and leaders. The expectation therefore, is that they will have abilities in leading and have influence over followers. The practices are observed by those who are led by the school principal. Principals engage in those practices to influence those around them. Today, schools have all sorts of ill-leadership, and school principals need to stand firm as agents of change to better the situation.

School principals should be effective in practising servant leadership in schools as away of combating the challenges they face. Effectiveness is what needed for school leadership to achieve success is. It is suggested that servant leadership has qualities that could help in enhancing effectiveness of school leadership. By practicing servant leadership school principal are able to influence and impact school leadership.

The study engaged servant leadership and Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as theoretical frameworks. Servant leadership was used to interpret the practices of the school principals, while CHAT was used to identify and explain the findings in terms of culture and context. The study employed case study methodology to achieve its purpose. Two schools were chosen; both owned by the public and found in the rural area of Maseru.

The study engaged focus groups, interviews and observation as a means of generating data. There were two focus groups, one from each school. There were 8 members in each focus group. The interview was done with school principals of the two schools.

The findings revealed that school principals practised servant leadership. One core business of servant leadership is to serve. In practising servant leadership, findings indicated that school principals served internal and external stakeholders. The internalstakeholders included teachers and learners. Teachers were served by increasing their morale, empowering them, and promoting peace and stability in school. Learners were served by enhancing their morale and motivation.

Indaba ebaluleke kakhulu ebuholini besikole namuhla ukusebenza kahle kobuholi. Uthishanhloko kulindeleke ukuthi aveze izimiso ezamukelekile futhi enze kube lula ukusebenza kahle. Othishanhloko bangaqinisekisa kanjani ukukhiqizwa kwezingabunjalo ekuholeni izikole, ubungcweti, izimiso zokuziphatha ezamukelekile emsebenzini, futhi namanje besahleli ekumpintshekeni kwekhulunyaka lama-21, elibhekene nenguquko yezimboni yesine ebuholini, ungomunye wemibuzo ebaluleke kakhulu okufanele iphakanyiswe. Lolu cwaningo beluhlose ukuhlola izindlela zothishanhloko bezikole zokuhola ngokukhonza. Othishanhloko bezikole bengabaholi baphuma ezikhungweni zemfundo lapho bebeqeqeshelwa khona ukuba ngothishanhloko nabaholi bezikole. Ngakho-ke okulindelekile ukuthi bazoba namakhono ekuholeni futhi babe nomthelela kwabalandelayo. Izindlela abazisebenzisayo zibonwa yilabo abaholwa nguthishanhloko. Othishanhloko bazibandakanya kulezo zindlela ukuze babe nomthelela kulabo ababazungezile. Namuhla, izikole zinezinhlobo ezahlukene zobuholi obungalungile, futhi othishanhloko kufanele baqine njengamanxusa oshintsho ukuze kube ngcono isimo. Othishanhloko bezikole kufanele basebenze ngempumelelo ekuholeni ngokukhonza izikole njengendlela yokulwa nezinselelo ababhekene nazo. Ukusebenza kahle yikona okudingekayo ukuze ubuholi besikole bube yimpumelelo. Kuphakanyiswa ukuthi ukuhola ngokukhonza kunezici ezingasiza ekuthuthukiseni ukusebenza kahle kobuholi besikole. Ngokuzijwayeza ukuhola ngokukhonza othishonhloko bezikole bayakwazi ukuba nomthelela ebuholini besikole. Ucwaningo lubandakanye ubuholi ngokukhonza kanye nenjululwazi iCultural Historical Activity (CHAT) njengezinhlaka zenjululwazi. Ubuholi ngokukhonza busetshenziswe ukuchaza izenzo zothishanhloko, kanti iCHAT isetshenziswe ukuhlonza nokuchaza okutholakele ngokwesiko nomongo. Ucwaningo lusebenzise indlela yokwenza ucwaningo ngesimo ukuze kuzuzwe inhloso yalo. Kwakhethwa izikole ezimbili; zombili eziphethwe umphakathi futhi ezitholakala endaweni yasemakhaya eMaseru. Ucwaningo lubandakanye amaqoqo azocwaningwa, izingxoxo kanye nokucwaninga ngokuqaphela njengendlela yokukhiqiza ulwazi. Kwakukhona amaqoqo amabili acwaningwayo, elilodwa esikoleni ngasinye. Kwakunamalungu ayi-8 eqoqweni ngalinye elicwaningwayo. Izingxoxo zenziwe nothishanhloko bezikole zombili. Imiphumela iveze ukuthi othishanhloko bezikole bahola ngokukhonza. Umsebenzingqangi owodwa wobuholi ngokukhonza ukusebenzela. Ekuholeni ngokukhonza, okutholakele kuveze ukuthi othishanhloko bakhonza ababambiqhaza bangaphakathi nabangaphandle. Ababambiqhaza bangaphakathi bahlanganisa othisha nabafundi. Othisha bakhonzwa ngokukhulisa ukuziphatha kwabo, ukubathuthukisa, nokugqugquzela ukuthula nokuzinza esikoleni. Abafundi bakhonzwe ngokuthuthukisa ukuziphatha kwabo kanye nogqozi lwabo.

Taba ya bohlokwa ka ho fetisisa boetapeleng ba sekolo kajeno ke bohlwahlwa ba boetapele. Ho lebeletswe hore mosuwehlooho wa sekolo a bontshe melao e amohelehang le ho thusa hore bana ba etse mosebetsi o motle. Mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e ka nnetefatsa tlhahiso ya boleng jwang tataisong ya bona ya dikolo, tshebetso e makgethe, boitshwaro bo amohelehang ba mosebetsi, mme ba ntse ba le mothating wa ngwahaketekgolo ya 21, o tobaneng le phetoho ya diphetoho tsa bone tsa indaster, ke e nngwe ya dipotso tsa bohlokwahadi tse lokelang ho botswa? Sepheo sa diphuputso tsena ke ho hlahloba mekgwa ya boetapele ba bohlanka dikolong. Mesuwehlooho ya dikolo, jwaloka baetapele, e tswa ditheong tsa thuto moo e neng e kwetlisetswa ho ba mesuwehlooho ya dikolo le baetapele. Ka hona, ho lebeletswe hore ba be le bokgoni ba ho etella pele le ho ba le tshusumetso ho balatedi. Mekgwa ena e hlokomelwa ke ba etelletsweng pele ke mosuwehlooho wa sekolo. Mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e sebetsana le mekgwa eo e le ho susumetsa le ho laola ba ba potapotileng. Kajeno, dikolo di na le boetapele bo bobe ba mefuta yohle, mme mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e lokela ho tsitsa tshebetsong ya yona jwalo ka baphethahatsi ba phetoho, e le hore boemo bo ntlafale. Mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e lokela ho ba le tshusumetso e matla ya ho phethahatsa tshebetso ya boetapele dikolong e le tsela ya ho lwantsha mathata ao ba tobaneng le wona. Tshebetso e ntle ke seo boetapele ba sekolo bo se hlokang hore katleho e be teng. Ho kgothaleditswe hore boetapele ba bohlanka bo na le makgabane a ka thusang ho ntlafatsa katleho ya boetapele ba sekolo. Ka ho sebetsa jwaloka mohlanka wa boetapele, mosuwehlooho wa sekolo o kgona ho susumetsa le ho ama boetapele ba sekolo. Diphuputso tsena di shebana le boetapele ba bohlanka le Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) e le meralo ya thuto. Boetapele ba bohlanka bo ne bo sebedisetswa ho hlalosa mekgwa ya mesuwehlooho ya dikolo, ha CHAT e ne e sebedisetswa ho hlwaya le ho hlalosa diphihlello ho latela setso le maemo. Diphuputso tsena di sebedisitse mokgwa wa ho ithuta ka diketsahalo e le hore di fihlelle morero wa tsona. Ho ile ha kgethwa dikolo tse pedi. Dikolo ka bobedi ke tsa setjhaba mme di fumaneha dibakeng tsa mahaeng tsa Maseru. Diphuputso di ile tsa kenyeletsa dihlopha tsa diphuputso, dipuisano le ho lebella e le mekgwa ya ho sibolla dintlha. Ho ne ho na le dihlopha tse pedi tsa diphuputso; se le seng ho tswa sekolong ka seng. Ho ne ho na le ditho tse 8 sehlopheng ka seng sa diphuputso. Puisano e ile ya tsamaiswa ke mesuwehlooho ya dikolo tseo tse pedi. Diphihlello di bontshitse hore mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e sebedisa boetapele ba bohlanka bakeng sa ho sebeletsa setjhaba. Mosebetsi o mong o ka sehloohong wa boetapele ba bohlanka ke ho sebeletsa. Ha ba sebedisa boetapele ba bohlanka, diphuputso di bontshitse hore mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e sebeletsa ba amehang ka hare le ka ntle. Ba amehang ka hare ba ne ba kenyelletsa matitjhere le baithuti. Matitjhere a ile a thuswa ka ho eketsa boikutlo ba ona, ho a matlafatsa le ho kgothaletsa kgotso le botsitso sekolong. Baithuti ba ile ba thuswa ka ho matlafatsa boikutlo ba bona le ho ba susumetsa.