Exploring distributed instructional leadership practices in high performing Zimbabwean primary schools

Abstract

Onderrigleierskap was oor die jare heen een van die mees bespreekte leierskapkonstrukte in opvoedkundige navorsing. Die fokus van onderrigleierskap is op skoolhoofde as die mense met al die kennis om skole tot groter hoogtes te ontwikkel. Die toenemende werklading van skoolhoofde en die koms van verspreide leierskap het dit vir skoolhoofde sinvol gemaak om leierskap onder ander personeellede te verdeel. Hierdie praktyk, wat deur effektiewe skoolhoofde gebruik is, het skole gehelp om hul onderrigprestasie te verbeter. Hierdie studie is dus gemotiveer deur die gedagte om onderrigleierskap aan alle lede in ’n skool te versprei. Verspreide leierskap eis meer deelnemers aan onderrigleierskap. Dit lei tot die ontginning van kennis en kundigheid by skoollede. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ’n dieper begrip te hê van hoe verspreide onderrigleierskappraktyke in hoëpresterende laerskole toegepas is vir verbeterde prestasie. Die studie het gefokus op die ondersoek van die belangrikste aktiwiteite van skoolhoofde wat onderrigleierskappraktyk in die geselekteerde skole gekenmerk het. Dit het ook gefokus op hoe die belangrikste aktiwiteite van onderrigleierskap ooreenstem met en/of kenmerke van verspreide leierskap vertoon. Die studie het spesifiek gefokus op hoe verspreide onderrigleierskap in hoëpresterende laerskole in Zimbabwe in werking gestel word. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en ’n meervoudige gevallestudie navorsingsontwerp is vir hierdie studie gebruik. ’n Steekproef van drie skoolhoofde en nege onderwysers is doelbewus gekies. Gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en dokumentontleding is gebruik om data in te samel. Die studie het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die skoolhoofde betrokke was by onderrigleierskap. Die skoolhoofde het onderrigleierskapaktiwiteite uitgevoer deur leierskapspraktyke onder ander lede in hul skole te versprei. Verspreide onderrigleierskapspraktyke is in werking gestel deur verskillende leierskapaktiwiteite wat deur verskeie personeellede onderneem is. Daar is vasgestel dat die visie van die skool ’n sleutelaktiwiteit van onderrigleierskap in hierdie suksesvolle skole is. Die skole het spesifieke visies gehad wat ontwikkel is deur samewerking tussen die skoolhoofde, onderwysers en die skoolgemeenskap, ’n voorbeeld van ’n verspreide onderrigleierskapspraktyk in die skole. Nog ’n bevinding was dat die bestuur van onderrig in al drie suksesvolle laerskole geprioritiseer is deur die skoolhoofde wat almal ’n verspreide benadering gevolg het om hierdie aktiwiteit saam met hul onderwysers uit te voer. Daar is ook gevind dat die skole op twee hoofstrategieë staat gemaak het om onderrig te bestuur en onderrigverbetering te bevorder, naamlik waarneming van onderrig en terugvoer tesame met modellering van voorbeeldige praktyke deur die leierspan. Die finale bevinding was dat die skole bevorderlike omgewings vir onderrig en leer gehad het, wat hulle geskep het deur professionele ontwikkeling en samewerkende leierskappraktyke. Die studie beveel aan dat skoolhoofde onderwysers koester deur leierskap aan alle lede te versprei om hulle in staat te stel om professioneel te groei. Dit hou voordele in vir beide onderwysers en leerders. Dit word ook aanbeveel dat onderwysers bewus gemaak word van die belangrikheid van die verspreiding van onderrigleierskap. Verdere navorsing op ’n wyer skaal oor hoe verspreide onderrigleierskap in skole in werking gestel word, word aanbeveel.

Instructional leadership has been one of the most discussed leadership constructs in educational research over the times. The focus of instructional leadership is on principals as the people with all the knowledge to develop schools to greater heights. The increasing workload for principals and the advent of distributed leadership made it prudent for school principals to distribute leadership to other staff members. This practice made use of by effective school principals helped schools to improve their instructional performance. This study was, therefore, motivated by the thought of distributing instructional leadership to all members in a school.

Distributed leadership calls for more players in instructional leadership. This results in the tapping of knowledge and expertise in school members. The aim of this study was to have a deeper understanding of how distributed instructional leadership practices were enacted in high performing primary schools for improved performance. The study focused on examining the main activities that characterised instructional leadership practice in the selected schools. It also focused on how the major activities of instructional leadership align with and or exhibited features of distributed leadership. In specific, the study focused on how distributed instructional leadership is enacted in high performing primary schools in Zimbabwe.

The qualitative research approach and a multiple case study research design were adopted for this study. A sample of three school principals and nine teachers were purposively selected. Structured interviews, observations and document analysis were used to gather data. The study concluded that the school principals were involved in instructional leadership. The principals carried out instructional leadership activities through distributing leadership practices to other members in their schools. Distributed instructional leadership practices were enacted through varied leadership activities undertaken by various school members.

It was established that visioning the school was a key activity of instructional leadership in these successful schools. The schools had specific visions which were developed through collaboration among the principals, teachers and the school community, an example of a distributed instructional leadership practice in the schools. Another finding was that in all the three successful primary schools, managing instruction was prioritised by the principals who all took a distributed approach in executing this activity with their teachers. It was also found that the schools relied on two major strategies to manage instruction and promote instructional improvement, viz, observation of teaching and feedback together with modelling of exemplary practice by the leadership team. The final finding was that the schools had conducive environments for teaching and learning that they created through professional development and collaborative leadership practice.

The study recommends that principals nurture teachers through distributing leadership to all members to enable them to grow professionally. This has benefits for both teachers and learners. It is also recommended that teachers are made aware of the importance of distributing instructional leadership. Further research on a wider scale on how distributed instructional leadership is enacted in schools is recommended.

Ubuholi bokufundisa kube ngenye yezindlela zobuholi okuxoxwe ngazo kakhulu ocwaningweni lwezemfundo ngezikhathi ezithile. Ubuholi bokufundisa bugxile kothishanhloko njengabantu abanalo lonke ulwazi lokuthuthukisa izikole zifinyelele ezingeni eliphezulu. Ukwanda komsebenzi kothishanhloko nokufika kobuholi obabiwe kwenze kwaba ubuhlakani ukuthi othishanhloko babe ubuholi kwabanye abasebenzi. Le ndlela esetshenziswa othishanhloko abaphumelelayo isize izikole ukuba zithuthukise ukusebenza kwazo kokufundisa. Ngakho-ke lolu cwaningo lwalugqugquzelwe umcabango wokwaba ubuholi bokufundisa kuwo wonke amalungu esikoleni. Ubuholi obabiwe bufuna abantu abengeziwe ebuholini bokufundisa. Lokhu kuphumela ekucoshweni kolwazi nobungcweti kumalungu esikole. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuba nokuqonda okujulile kokuthi kwenziwa kanjani ubuholi bokufundisa obabiwe ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi ezenza kahle ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukusebenza kwabo. Ucwaningo lugxile ekuhloleni imisebenzi esemqoka ekhombisa ubuholi bokufundisa ezikoleni ezikhethiwe. Iphinde yagxila ekutheni imisebenzi emikhulu yobuholi bokufundisa ihambisana kanjani nobuholi obusabalalisiwe futhi noma ikhonjisiwe kanjani ebuholini obusabalalisiwe. Ngokuqondile, ucwaningo lugxile ekutheni ubuholi bokufundisa obabiwe buhanjiswa kanjani ezikoleni zamabanga aphansi eZimbabwe. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela yekhwalithethivu kanye nomklamo wocwaningo lwezimo eziningi. Kukhethwe isampula yothishanhloko abathathu nothisha abayisishiyagalolunye. Kusetshenziswe isampula eyinhloso, isampula yothishanhloko abathathu nothisha abayisishiyagalolunye. Kusetshenziswe izingxoxo ezihleliwe, ukucwaninga ngokuqaphela kanye nokuhlaziywa kwemibhalo ukuqoqa ulwazi. Ucwaningo luphethe ngokuthi othishanhloko bezikole bayabandakanyeka ebuholini bokufundisa. Othishanhloko benza imisebenzi yokufundisa ngobuholi ngokwaba izindlela zobuholi kwamanye amalungu ezikoleni zabo. Izinqubo zobuholi ezisatshalalisiwe zenziwa ngemisebenzi eyahlukene yobuholi eyenziwa amalungu esikole ahlukahlukene. Kwatholakala ukuthi ukuba nombono wesikole kuwumsebenzi obalulekile wobuholi bokufundisa kulezi zikole eziphumelele. Izikole zazinemibono ethile eyasungulwa ngokubambisana phakathi kothishanhloko, othisha kanye nomphakathi wesikole, okuyisibonelo sendlela yokufundisa yobuholi obabiwe ezikoleni. Okunye okwatholakala ukuthi kuzona zontathu izikole zamabanga aphansi eziphumelele, ukuphatha ukufundisa kwabekwa eqhulwini ngothishanhloko abathatha indlela eyabiwe yokwenza lo msebenzi nothisha babo. Kuphinde kwatholakala ukuthi izikole zithembele emaswini amabili amakhulu okuphatha ukufundisa nokukhuthaza ukwenziwa ngcono kokufundisa, okungukuthi, ukuqaphela ukufundisa kanye nezimpendulo kanye nokuba yisibonelo kwethimba labaholi ngokuthi bahole kahle. Umphumela wokugcina kwaba ukuthi izikole zinezindawo ezikahle zokufundisa nokufunda ezakhiwe ngokuthuthukiswa kobungcweti kanye nokwenza ubuholi ngokubambisana. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukuthi othishanhloko bakhulise othisha ngokwaba ubuholi kuwo wonke amalungu ukuze bakwazi ukukhula ngokomsebenzi. Lokhu kunezinzuzo kubo bobabili othisha kanye nabafundi. Kuyanconywa futhi ukuthi othisha bazi ngokubaluleka kokwaba ubuholi bokufundisa. Kunconywa ukuthi kwenziwe ucwaningo olwengeziwe ngezinga elibanzi lokuthi ubuholi bokufundisa obabiwe busetshenziswa kanjani ezikoleni.

Boetapele ba thuto e bile e nngwe ya mekgwa ya boetapele eo ho buuwang ka yona ka ho fetisisa diphuputsong tsa thuto dilemong tse fetileng. Tjhadimo boholo e lebisitswe ho mesuwehlooho ya dikolo jwalokaha e le batho ba nang le tsebo yohle ya ho hodisa dikolo ho di isa boemong bo phahameng ka ho fetisisa. Ho eketseha ha mosebetsi wa mesuwehlooho le ho ba teng ha boetapele bo arolelanweng, ho bakile hore mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e arolelane boetapele le basebetsi ba bang. Mokgwa ona o sebedisitswe ke batsamaisi ba dikolo ba atlehileng o thusitse dikolo ho ntlafatsa katleho ya tsona ya ho ruta. Ka hona, diphuputso tsena di susumeditswe ke kgopolo ya ho aba boetapele ba thuto ho ditho tsohle tsa sekolo. Boetapele bo arolelanweng bo hloka hore ho be le baetapele ba eketsehileng ba rutang. Sena se fella ka hore ditho tsa sekolo di fumane tsebo le botsebi. Sepheo sa diphuputso tsena ke ho fumana kutlwisiso e tebileng ya hore na mekgwa ya boetapele ba thuto e ajwang e ile ya etswa jwang dikolong tsa poraemari tse sebetsang hantle, bakeng sa ho ntlafatsa tshebetso. Diphuputso di ile tsa lebisa tlhokomelo ho hlahlobeng mesebetsi e ka sehloohong e kgethollang mekgwa ya boetapele ba thuto dikolong tse kgethilweng. E boetse e tsepamisitse maikutlo ho kamoo mesebetsi e meholo ya boetapele ba thuto e dumellanang kapa e bontshang dikarolo tsa boetapele bo ajwang. Ka ho kgetheha, thuto e ile ya lebisa tlhokomelo tseleng eo boetapele ba thuto bo ajwang bo sebediswang ka yona dikolong tsa poraemari tse sebetsang hantle haholo Zimbabwe. Ho ile ha sebediswa mokgwa wa ho etsa diphuputso tsa boleng le mokgwa wa ho etsa diphuputso tsa dinyewe tse ngata bakeng sa thuto ena. Sampole ya mesuwehlooho ya dikolo tse tharo le matitjhere a robong e ile ya kgethwa ka boomo. Ho ile ha sebediswa dipuisano tse hlophisitsweng, ho lebela le ho hlahloba ditokomane ho bokella boitsebiso. Diphuputso di ile tsa etsa qeto ya hore mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e ne e ameha boetapeleng ba thuto. Mesuwehlooho e ile ya etsa mesebetsi ya boetapele ba thuto ka ho aba mekgwa ya boetapele ho ditho tse ding dikolong tsa yona. Mekgwa ya boetapele ba thuto e ajwang e ile ya etswa ka mesebetsi e fapaneng ya boetapele e etswang ke ditho tse fapaneng tsa sekolo. Ho ile ha tiiswa hore ho ba le pono ya sekolo e ne e le mosebetsi wa bohlokwa wa boetapele ba thuto dikolong tsena tse atlehileng. Dikolo tsena di ne di na le dipono tse kgethehileng tse ileng tsa hlahiswa ka tshebedisano pakeng tsa mesuwehlooho ya dikolo, matitjhere le setjhaba sa sekolo, e leng mohlala wa mokgwa wa ho tsamaisa thuto ya boetapele dikolong. Ho fumanwe hape hore dikolong tsohle tse tharo tsa poraemari tse atlehileng, ho laola thuto e ne e le ntho e tlang pele ho mesuwehlooho ya dikolo tseo kaofela ha tsona di ileng tsa sebedisa mokgwa o arohaneng wa ho phethahatsa mosebetsi ona le matitjhere a tsona. Ho ile ha boela ha fumanwa hore dikolo di itshetlehile ka mekgwa e mmedi e meholo ya ho laola thuto le ho kgothaletsa ntlafatso ya thuto, e leng, ho shebella ho ruta le ho fana ka maikutlo hammoho le ho etsa mohlala wa mekgwa e metle ke sehlopha sa boetapele. Sephetho sa ho qetela e bile hore dikolo di ne di na le tikoloho e loketseng bakeng sa ho ruta le ho ithuta eo ba e bopileng ka ho ntlafatsa tsebo ya bona ya mosebetsi le ho sebedisana le baetapele. Diphuputso tsena di kgothalletsa hore mesuwehlooho ya dikolo e hodise matitjhere ka ho fa ditho tsohle tsa sekolo matla a ho ba baetapele hore ba hole mosebetsing. Sena se tswela matitjhere le barutwana molemo. Ho boetse ho kgothalletswa hore matitjhere a hlokomele bohlokwa ba ho aba boetapele ba thuto. Ho kgothalletswa hore ho etswe diphuputso tse eketsehileng ka tekanyo e pharaletseng mabapi le hore na boetapele ba thuto bo ajwang bo etswa jwang dikolong.