Reflections on school leadership focussing on moral and transformational dimensions of a principal’s leadership practice

Abstract

Die literatuur toon die beduidende invloed van skoolleierskap in die daar stelling van suksesvolle skole. As gevolg van die diversiteit en kom pleksi teit van skole, erken teoretici, beleidmakers en praktisyns die kardinale rol van skoolleiers se waardes en hulle invloed op skole en op die gemeen skap. In die soeke na nuwe grondslae vir die verstaan van leierskap, word drie metafore gebruik om ’n vergestalting van skoolleierskap te beskryf: die morele rentmeester, die opvoeder en die gemeenskapsbouer (Murphy, 2002:176). Vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie is die fokus op die dimen sie van die morele rentmeester van leierskap. Dit gebruik hierdie metafoor as een van die lense waardeur ’n Suid-Afrikaanse skoolhoof se leier skap be studeer word wat Christelikheid as vertrekpunt in sy of haar praktyk be skou. ’n Kwalitatiewe studie wat ’n narratiewe navraag gebruik is toege pas om die morele en transformasionele dimensies van skoolleierskap in die primêre skool te ondersoek. Die vol gende temas het uit die data-ana lise na vore gekom: die skoolhoof se begronding van leierskap: “Ek leer by die Groot Meester”; omgee oor die behoeftes, waarde en gevoelens van individue: “Ek het deernis vir mense”; die ontwikkeling van ander se pote siaal: “’n Mens moet jou mense bemagtig”. Deur die deel van die leierskapervarings van die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolhoof, kan hierdie studie as ’n waardevolle hulpbron dien en lei tot dergelike studies wat die deel van leierskapervarings van suksesvolle skoolhoofde kan uitbou.

The literature shows the significant influence of school leadership in creating successful schools. Due to the diversity and complexity of schools, theorists, policymakers and practitioners acknowledge the crucial role of school leaders’ values and their influence on schools and the community. In searching for new foundations for understanding leadership, three metaphors are used to describe a portrait of school leadership: the moral steward, the educator, and the community builder (Murphy, 2002:176). For the purpose of this study the focus is on the dimension of the moral steward of leadership. It uses this metaphor as one of the lenses to study a South African principal’s leadership who regards Christianity as point of departure in his or her practice. A qualitative study using a narrative inquiry was applied to investigate the moral and transformational dimensions of school leadership in the primary school. The following themes emer ged from the data analysis: the principal’s foundation of lea de ship: “I learn from the Big Boss”; caring about the needs, value and feelings of individuals: “I have compassion for people”; developing the potential of others: “You must empower your people”. Through the sharing of the leadership experiences of the South African prin cipal, this study could serve as a valuable resource and lead to simi lar studies that could enhance the sharing of leadership experiences of successful school principals.