The influence of distributed leadership on teaching practice supervision in Masvingo Province’s Teacher Education Colleges

Abstract

Gedeelde leierskap (DL) het gegroei deurdat weggedraai is van die “grootman”-konsep van opvoedkundige leierskap waarin dit nodig was dat ’n enkeling boaan ’n burokratiese organisatoriese skoolstruktuur alleen in beheer was. Bestaande literatuur dui op die feit dat gedeelde leierskap meer aanvaarbaar is en bepleit meer deelnemers aan onderrigleierskap. Onderwyserleiers in skole in Zimbabwe word deur die departement van onderwyspraktyk van die opvoedkundige instelling vir onderwysers gekies om toesig oor studente van onderwyskolleges te hou. Hul toesig is egter soms nie doeltreffend om die professionele bevoegdhede van onderwysstudente te ontwikkel nie en om oor hul onderrig te besin nie omdat onderwyserleiers nie opgelei is oor hoe om tydens die toesig hul professionele rolle en verantwoordelikhede uit te voer nie. Daarom het hierdie studie gepoog om die invloed van gedeelde leierskap op onderwyspraktyktoesig in die Masvingo-provinsie se onderwyskolleges te ondersoek. Die navorsing word onderlê deur simboliese interaksie deur Herbert Mead (1883) en deur die gedeelde leierskapteorie om te verstaan ​​hoe DL onderwyserleiers beïnvloed om toesig oor onderwysstudente in die praktyk te hou. Die interpretivistiese navorsingsparadigma, wat die kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en ’n veelvuldige gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp gebruik, is ingespan om die invloed van gedeelde leierskap op onderrigpraktyktoesig in onderwyskolleges te ondersoek. ’n Steekproef van agt onderwyserleiers is doelbewus gekies deur die maksimum variasietegniek te gebruik vir verskeie onderhoude en fokusgroepbesprekings. Van die bevindinge wat deur die studie onthul is, is dat gedeelde leierskap ’n positiewe invloed op onderwyspraktyktoesig het. Dit is ook geopenbaar dat die toesighoudende student (in onderwyskolleges) op ’n gereelde basis met die onderwyserleiers (in skole wat oor studente van onderwyskolleges moet toesig hou) moet kommunikeer om te verstaan ​​en te help met die verbetering van toesig, en dat die interaksie dialoog oor teorie, navorsing en praktyk moet insluit. Die gevolgtrekking is dat onderwyserleiers die gedeelde leierskapkonsep kan gebruik omdat dit ’n positiewe invloed op onderwyspraktyk toesig het. Een van die aanbevelings deur die navorser, gebaseer op die bevindinge, is dat skoolhoofde moet besef hoe gedeelde leierskap waarskynlik onderrigpraktyktoesig sal beïnvloed sodat onderwyserleiers ten volle die posisie van leier kan inneem sodat hulle selfversekerd kan word oor die toesig van die onderwystudente. * English below

Distributed leadership (DL) grew out of turning away from the “great man” concept of educational leadership, in which a single actor was thought necessary to lead in a top-down way in a bureaucratic organisational school structure. Extant literature heralds that the DL has gained currency and advocates more actors in instructional leadership. Teacher leaders in schools in Zimbabwe are selected by the teaching practice departments of the educational institution for teachers to supervise students from teaching colleges. However, their supervision is sometimes not effective to develop the professional competencies of trainee-teachers and to reflect on their teaching because teacher leaders are not trained on how to conduct their professional roles and responsibilities during the supervision. Hence, this study sought to explore the influence of DL on teaching practice supervision in Masvingo Province’s teacher education colleges.

The study is underpinned by symbolic interaction by Herbert Mead (1883), and distributed leadership theory as lens to understand how DL influences teacher leaders on supervising student teachers on teaching practice. The interpretivist research paradigm using the qualitative research approach and a multiple case study research design were employed to explore the influence of DL on teaching practice supervision in teacher education colleges. A sample of eight teacher leaders was purposively selected using the maximum variation technique, for multiple interviews and focus group discussion.

Among the findings that were revealed by this study, it came out that distributed leadership has a positive influence on teaching practice supervision. It was also revealed that to understand and assist in the enhancement of supervision, the supervision scholar (in teacher colleges) must interact with the teacher leaders (in schools that are responsible of supervising students from teacher colleges) on a regular basis, and that interaction should include reflective dialogue on theory, research and practice. The study concludes that teacher leaders can use the distributed leadership concept because it has a positive influence on teaching practice supervision.One of the recommendations by the researcher, based on the findings, is that school headsmust realise how Dl is likely to influence teaching practice supervision for teacher leaders to fully take the position of leading so that they become confident in supervising the student teachers.

Ubuholi obusatshalalisiwe (distributed leadership) (DL) bube khona ngenxa yoguquko oluphikisana nekhonsepthi emayelana nokuholwa kwemfundo “yindoda eyodwa enkulu”. Lendoda yayibonakala ikulungele ukushaya imithetho isuka ezingeni eliphezulu ize ifike kweliphansi kuleso sikole eyayikusona ngaphandle kokuphikiswa. Imibhalo ekhona njengamanje ibalula ukuthi ukuhola ngokubambisana okwaziwa nge-DL, yikhona osekusemgangathweni nokwesekela ukuthi lolu hlobo lokuhola ludlondlobale. Abaholi bothisha eZimbabwe bayaye bakhethwe yiminyango ebhekelele ukuprakthiza kothisha ekuzona izikhungo zokuqeqesha othisha ukuze babe abaluleki bezitshudeni ezisuke zivela emakolishi aqeqesha othisha. Okuhlukile nokho, wukuthi ngezinye izikhathi labo abeluleka othisha abasuke besaqeqeshwa umsebenzi wabo ubuye ungagculisi uma sekubhekwa intuthuko yabo endimeni yamakhono abasuke beqeqeshelwa wona. Lokhu kwenziwa wukuthi laba baholi bothisha basuke bengaqeqeshekile kahle ngokomsebenzi wabo ngenkathi beluleka abafundi. Ngalesi zathu, lolu cwaningo beluhlose ukuhlola umthelela wokwabelana ngamandla obuholi endimeni yokwalulekwa kothisha abasuke besaprakthiza ngaphansi kolawulo lwasemakolishi asesiFundazweni iMasvingo. Lolu cwaningo lubhekwe ngeso lokubuka izinto elaziwa ngokuthi ukusebenzisana okungokomfanekiso (symbolic interaction) ngokukaHerbert Mead (1883), kanye nethiyori emayelana nobuholi obabelenwe noma obusatshalalisiwe ebuye yaziwe nge-DL. Lezi zindlela zokubuka ucwaningo zenza kuqondakale ukuthi ubuholi obusatshalalisiwe bunomthelela ekusebenzeni kwabaholi bothisha ngenkathi beluleka othisha abasaqeqeshwa abasuke beprakthizela ukufundisa. Lolu cwaningo lubhekwe ngendlela yokuhumusha ulwazi ipharadayimu yocwaningo lotolika (interpretivist research paradigm) kusetshenziswa indlela yocwaningo ikhwalithethivu kanye namakheysisitadi (case studies) amaningi. Lokhu njalo bekwenzelwa ukuhlola umthelela we-DL ekuqondisweni kweprakthisi yokufundisa emakolishi okuqeqesha othisha. Isampula labaholi bothisha abayisishiyagalombili lakhethwa ngokwenhloso kusetshenziswa indlela yokuqoqa ulwazi oluqukethe imibono enhlobonhlobo kubantu nasezinhlanganweni (maximum variation technique). Emiphumeleni yalolu cwaningo kwavela ukuthi ubuholi obusatshalalisiwe bunomthelela omuhle ekuqondisweni kweprakhtisi yokufundisa. Kwaphinde kwavela ukuthi ukuze kuqondwe futhi kube nokusizakala ekuthuthukisweni kwezokuqondisa, izazi zokuqondisa ezisemakolishi othisha kufanele zisebenzisane nabaholi bothisha basezikoleni, okuyibona abamsebenzi wabo ukuqondisa izitshudeni ezisuke zivela emakolishi othisha, nokuthi ukuxhumana nokusebenzisana kwabo kufanele kuvule ithuba lokuthi babe nezinkulumompendulwane ezithinta ukuhlobana phakathi kocwaningo, ithiyori kanye nokwenzekayo ezinkunldeni zokufunda nokufundisa. Ucwaningo luphetha ngokuthi luveze ukuthi abaholi bothisha bangakwazi ukusebenzisa ikhonsepthi yokusatshalaliswa kobuholi ngenxa yokuba nomthelela wayo omuhle ekutotosweni kothisha abasafundayo. Ngokomcwaningi, esinye sezincomo esigxile emiphumeleni yocwaningo wukuthi abaphathi bezikole kufanele bawuqonde umthelela ongenziwa ukwabelana ngamandla obuholi, ongaba nomphumela omuhle endimeni yokweluleka nokuqondisa. Lokhu kungenza labo abangabaholi bothisha bahambe phambili futhi babe nokuzethemba emsebenzini wabo wokuqondisa nokweluleka othisha abasuke besaqeqeshwa.

Boetapele bo kopanelwang (DL) bo hodiswa ke ho furalla mohopolo wa “monnamoholo” ka hara tsamaiso ya thuto, moo sebapadi se le seng se neng se hopolelwa ho tsamaisa ka ho tloha hodimo ho ya tlase ka mokgwa wa tsamaiso ya baipehi ka hara sekolo. Dingolwa tsa Extant di supa ha DL ya ha jwale e fumane mme e buella dibapadi tse mmalwa ka hara tsamaiso e laolang sekolo. Matitjhere a batsamaisi Zimbabwe a kgethwa ke lekala la tlwaelo la ho ruta la ditsi tsa botitjhere. Leha ho le jwalo, tlhokomelo ya bona ka nako e nngwe ha e ntle ho hodisa ditsebo tsa matitjhere a kwetlisong a tjhorisitsweng ho ba matitjhere le ho bontsha botitjhere hobane matitjhere batsamaisi ha ba kwetliswe mokgweng wa ho tshwara dikarolo tsa bona tsa boikarabello ba mosebetsi le boikarabello ba bona ka nako ya tlhokomelo. Ka hona, diphuputso tsena di ikemiseditse ho sibolla tshusumetso ya DL ya tlhokomelo ya boikwetliso ba ho ruta provenseng ya Masvingo setsing sa kholeje ya thupelo ya matitjhere. Diphuputso tsena di itshetlehile ka Symbolic Interaction ya Herbert Mead (1883) ke lewa le reng tsamaiso e arolwe e le leihlo la ho utlwisisa hore DL e susumetsa batsamaisi ba matitjhere tabeng ya tlhokomelo ya bomaithutwane ba matitjhere ba boikwetlisong ba ho ruta. Mokgwa wa moralo wa manollo ya diphuputso ka bohlalosi le boithuto ka dihlotshwana tse kgethehileng tse ngata o sebedisitswe ho fumana tshusumetso ya DL ho tlhokomelo ya bomaithutwane ba matitjhere ba boikwetlisong ba ho ruta ba dikholejeng tsa matitjhere. Lefupu la matitjhere ke babatataisi ba robedi (8) ba kgethilweng ka lebaka ka tshebediso ya “Maximum Variation Technique,” sebakeng sa dipotso tsa diphuputso tse mmalwa le sehlopha se kgethilweng sa dipuisano. Ka hara ditshibollo tse pepesuweng ke boithuto, ho bonahetse tsamaiso e kenyelletsang e na le tshusumetso e ntle tlhokomelong ya boikwetliso ba ho ruta. Diphuputso di totobaditse hape hore ho utlwisisa le ho ntlafatsa tlhokomelo ya bomaithutwane ba matitjhere; kholejeng e lokela ho kopana le matitjhere a batsamaisi (dikolong tse hlokomelang bomaithutwane ba matitjhere ba tswang dikholejeng) nako le nako, mme kopano e loketse ho kenyelletsa lewa la puisano e nang le boikgetho, bofuputsi le boetsi. Dihuputso tsena di etsa qeto ya hore matitjhere batsamaisi ba lokela ho qhalakanya mohopolo wa tsamaiso hobane o na le tshusumetso molemong wa tlhokomelo ya boikwetlisong ba ho ruta. E nngwe ya dikgothaletso tsa mofuputsi, a ipapisitse le ditshibollo tsa diphuputso tsena, ke hore dihlooho di tlameha ho elellwa hore na DL e monyetleng wa ho susumetsa tlhokomelo ya boikwetliso ba ho ruta sebakeng sa batsamaisi ba matitjhere hore ba nke boikarabelo bo felletseng ba boemo ba tsamaiso e le hore ba be le sebete sa tlhokomelo ya bomaithutwane ba matitjhere.