Approaches to enhance the emotional intelligence skills of School Management Team members for improved leadership practices

Abstract

School Management Team (SMT) members, the leaders of schools, face enduring and daunting educational challenges that may hinder the successful and effective teaching and learning of a school, and the school’s goals. Additionally, their duties and responsibilities have drastically increased over the last few years which leads to more pressure and demands placed on these SMT members individually and as a team. It seems that leadership practices may be hindered by the increase of challenges and duties. However, with the introduction of emotional intelligence skills, SMT members’ leadership practices may be improved. Therefore, this research was aimed at investigating how approaches to enhance the emotional intelligence skills of SMT members can improve leadership practices in secondary schools.

This qualitative investigation, guided by a phenomenology research design, was executed at five secondary schools in the Motheo District, Bloemfontein, Free State. The SMT members as well as teachers from the respective schools participated in the study regarding the emotional intelligence skills and leadership practices of SMT members. A total of 14 individual interviews were conducted with school leaders (4 principals, 3 deputy principals, 5 HODs and 2 teacher part of the SMT), and three focus group interviews with a combined total of 15 teachers. Additionally, open-ended questionnaires were handed out for completion to 4 retired school principals and 4 teachers who were unable to participate in the focus group interview. After data collection, the data were analysed using thematical analysis. The theoretical perspectives and different emotional intelligence models of Mayer and Salovey, Goleman, Bar-On and Petrides and Furnham were reviewed. Additionally, the different leadership practices from literature from various researchers over the years were also studied. These emotional intelligence models and leadership practices from literature served as foundation to establish a conceptual framework for this research.

The research findings revealed that with the enhancement of appropriate emotional intelligence skills, SMT members’ leadership practices can be improved. Moreover, educational leadership challenges can be managed effectively. Additionally, improved leadership practices from SMT members may result in successful school management and leadership which leads to effective teaching and learning in secondary schools. It is recommended that SMT members as well as teachers consider enhancing specific and appropriate emotional intelligence skills through workshops, seminars, courses, and training necessary for specific leadership practices.

Lede van ’n skoolbestuurspan (SBS) staar volgehoue en uitdagende onderwysprobleme in die gesig wat die suksesvolle en effektiewe onderrig en leer van ’n skool asook die skool se doelwitte kan belemmer. Daarbenewens het hierdie lede se pligte en verantwoordelikhede oor die afgelope paar jaar drasties toegeneem, wat tot groter druk en eise, individueel en as ’n span, gelei het. Dit blyk dat leierskapspraktyke belemmer kan word deur die toename in uitdagings en verantwoordelikhede. SBS-lede se leierskapspraktyke kan egter verbeter word deur die bekendstelling van emosionele intelligensievaardighede. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te ondersoek hoe leierskapspraktyke in sekondêre skole bevorder kan word deur benaderings om die emosionele intelligensievaardighede van SBS-lede te verhoog. ’n Kwalitatiewe ondersoek, gelei deur ’n fenomenologiese navorsingsontwerp, is by vyf sekondêre skole in die Motheo-distrik, Bloemfontein, Vrystaat uitgevoer. Die SBS-lede sowel as onderwysers van die onderskeie skole het aan die studie rakende die emosionele intelligensievaardighede en leierskapspraktyke deelgeneem. ’n Totaal van 14 individuele onderhoude is met skoolleiers gevoer (vier skoolhoofde, drie adjunkhoofde, vyf departementshoofde en twee onderwysers wat deel is van die SBS) en drie fokusgroeponderhoude is met ’n gesamentlike totaal van 15 onderwysers gevoer. Daarbenewens is oopeinde-vraelyste aan vier afgetrede skoolhoofde en vier onderwysers uitgedeel wat nie aan die fokusgroeponderhoude kon deelneem nie. Die data wat ingesamel is, is deur middel van ’n tematiese analise ontleed. Die teoretiese perspektiewe en verskillende emosionele intelligensiemodelle van Mayer en Salovey, Goleman, Bar-On, en Petrides en Furnham is nagegaan en bykomend is verskillende leierskapspraktyke uit ’n literatuur van verskeie navorsers oor die jare ook bestudeer. Hierdie emosionele intelligensiemodelle en leierskapspraktyke uit die literatuur was die grondslag vir die samestelling van ’n konseptuele raamwerk vir dié navorsing. Die navorsingsbevindinge het getoon dat die verhoging van toepaslike emosionele intelligensievaardighede die leierskapspraktyke van SBS-lede kan verbeter. Verder kan uitdagings met betrekking tot leierskap in onderwys doeltreffend bestuur word. Verbeterde leierskapspraktyke van SBS-lede lei tot suksesvolle skoolbestuur en leierskap wat op sy beurt effektiewe onderrig en leer in sekondêre skole tot gevolg het. Daar word aanbeveel dat SBS-lede en onderwysers dit oorweeg om spesifieke en toepaslike emosionele intelligensievaardighede te versterk deur werkswinkels, seminare, kursusse, en opleiding wat nodig is vir spesifieke leierskapspraktyke, by te woon.

Ditho tsa Sehlopha sa Tsamaiso ya Sekolo (SMT), baetapele ba dikolo, ba tobane le mathata a sa feleng le a tshosang a thuto, a ka sitisang ho ruta le ho ithuta ka katleho sekolong, le ditshupane tsa sekolo. Ho feta moo, mesebetsi ya bona le boikarabelo ba bona bo eketsehile haholo dilemong tse mmalwa tse fetileng e leng se lebisang ho kgatello e eketsehileng le ditlhoko tse behilweng ho ditho tsena tsa SMT ka bomong le ka sehlopha. Ho bonahala eka mekgwa ya boetapele e ka sitiswa ke ho eketseha ha diphephetso le mesebetsi. Leha ho le jwalo, ka ho kenyeletsa ditsebo tsa bohlale ba maikutlo, ditlwaelo tsa boetapele tsa ditho tsa SMT di ka ntlafatswa. Ka hona, diphuputso tsena di reretswe ho batlisisa hore na mekgwa ya ho ntlafatsa tsebo ya kutlwisiso ya maikutlo a ditho tsa SMT e ka ntlafatsa mekgwa ya boetapele dikolong tse mahareng jwang. Diphuputso tsena tsa boleng, tse tataiswang ke moralo wa dipatlisiso tsa Fenomenoloji, di ile tsa etswa dikolong tse hlano tse hodimo Seterekeng sa Motheo, Bloemfontein, Freistata. Ditho tsa SMT hammoho le matitjhere a tswang dikolong tse fapaneng, ba ile ba kenya letsoho thutong e mabapi le ditsebo tsa bohlale ba maikutlo le mekgwa ya boetapele ya ditho tsa SMT. Ho ile ha etswa dipuisano tse 14 ka bomong le baetapele ba dikolo (batsamaisi ba bane, batlatsi ba batsamaisi ba bararo, dihlooho tsa mafapha tse hlano le matitjhere a mabedi a karolo ya SMT), le dipuisano tse tharo tsa dihlopha tse shebaneng le kakaretso ya matitjhere a 15. Ho phaella moo, ho ile ha fanwa ka dipampiri tsa dipotso tse bulehileng hore di tlatswe ke dihlooho tsa dikolo tse 4 tse seng di tlohetse mosebetsi le matitjhere a 4 a neng a sa kgone ho kenya letsoho puisanong ya sehlopha se tsepamisitseng maikutlo. Ka mora hore ho bokellwe boitsebiso, boitsebiso bo ile ba hlahlojwa ka ho sebedisa tlhahlobo ya dihlooho. Ho ile ha hlahlojwa maikutlo a thuto le mefuta e fapaneng ya bohlale ba maikutlo ya Mayer le Salovey, Goleman, Bar-On le Petrides le Furnham. Hodimo ha moo, hoi le ha ballwa le ka mekgwa e fapaneng ya boetapele e tswang dibukeng tse tswang ho bafuputsi ba fapaneng ya dilemotse fetileng. Mehlala ena ya bohlale ba maikutlo le mekgwa ya bwetapele e tswang dingodilweng e ile ya sebetsa e le motheo wa ho theha moralo wa mohopolo bakeng sa dipatdisiso tsena. Diphuputso di bontshitse hore ka ho ntlafatsa ditsebo tse loketseng tsa bohlale ba maikutlo, ditlwaelo tsa bwetapele tsa ditho tsa SMT di ka ntlafatswa. Ho feta moo, mathata a boetapele ba thuto a ka laolwa ka katleho. Ho feta moo, mekgwa e ntlafaditsweng ya boetapele e tswang ho ditho tsa SMT e ka fella ka taolo e atlehileng ya sekolo le boetapele bo lebisang ho ruta le ho ithuta ka katleho dikolong tse mahareng. Ho kgothalletswa hore ditho tsa SMT hammoho le matitjhere di nahane ka ho ntlafatsa ditsebo tse kgethehileng le tse loketseng tsa bohlale ba maikutlo ka dithupelo, diseminara, dithupelo le kwetliso e batlehang bakeng sa mekgwa e itseng ya boetapele.

Amalungu Ethimba Labaphathi Besikole (i-SMT), abaholi bezikole, babhekene nezinselele zemfundo ezingapheli nezesabekayo ezingase zithiye ukufundisa nokufunda okuphumelelayo nokufunda kwesikole, kanye nezinjongo zesikole. Ukwengeza, imisebenzi yabo nezibopho zabo ziye zanda kakhulu eminyakeni embalwa edlule okuholela ekucindezelweni okwengeziwe nezimfuno ezibekwe kulawa malungu e-SMT ngabanye nanjengeqembu. Kubukeka sengathi imikhuba yobuholi ingase ithikamezeke ngokwanda kwezinselelo nemisebenzi. Kodwa-ke, ngokwethulwa kwamakhono obuhlakani bomzwelo, izindlela zobuholi zamalungu e-SMT zingathuthukiswa. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo beluhloselwe ukuphenya ukuthi izindlela zokuthuthukisa amakhono obuhlakani bemizwa yamalungu e-SMT zingathuthukisa kanjani izinqubo zobuholi ezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu. Lolu phenyo lwekhwalithethivu, oluqondiswa umklamo wocwaningo lwe-phenomenology, lwenziwa ezikoleni ezinhlanu zamabanga aphezulu eSifundeni saseMotheo, eBloemfontein, eFreyistata. Amalungu e-SMT kanye nothisha abavela ezikoleni ezihlukene babambe iqhaza ocwaningweni olumayelana namakhono obuhlakani bemizwa kanye nezinqubo zobuholi zamalungu e-SMT. Sekuphelele izinhlolokhono eziyi-14 zabantu ngabanye ezenziwa nabaholi bezikole (othishanhloko aba-4, amasekela-thishanhloko ama-3, amphathi beminyango (HOD) aba-5 kanye nothisha ababili abayingxenye ye-SMT), kanye nezingxoxo zamaqembu amathathu okugxilwe kuwo nengqikithi yothisha abayi-15. Ukwengeza, uhlu lwemibuzo oluvulekile lwanikezwa othishanhloko aba-4 asebethathe umhlalaphansi ukuze bagcwalise kanye nothisha aba-4 abangakwazi ukubamba iqhaza enhlolwenikhono yeqembu. Ngemva kokuqoqwa kwedatha, idatha yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziya okuphathelene nengqikithi. Imibono yethiyori kanye namamodeli ahlukene obuhlakani bemizwa kaMayer noSalovey, Goleman, Bar-On noPetrides noFurnham abuyekezwa. Izinqubo ezahlukene zobuholi ezivela ezincwadini zabacwaningi abahlukahlukene phakathi neminyaka nazo zacwaningwa. Lawa mamodeli obuhlakani bemizwa kanye nezinqubo zobuholi ezivela ezincwadini zisebenze njengesisekelo sokusungula uhlaka lomqondo walolu cwaningo. Imiphumela yocwaningo iveze ukuthi ngokuthuthukiswa kwamakhono afanele obuhlakani bemizwa, izinqubo zobuholi zamalungu e-SMT zingathuthukiswa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinselelo zobuholi bezemfundo zingalawulwa ngempumelelo. Ukwengeza, izinqubo zobuholi ezithuthukisiwe ezivela kumalungu e-SMT zingase ziphumelele ekuphathweni kwesikole ngempumelelo kanye nobuholi obuholela ekufundiseni nokufunda okuphumelelayo ezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu. Kutuswa ukuthi amalungu e-SMT kanye nothisha bacabangele ukuthuthukisa amakhono athile nafanelekile obuhlakani bemizwa ngokusebenzisa ama-workshops, amasemina, izifundo, nokuqeqeshwa okudingekayo ezinkambisweni ezithile zobuholi.