A hermeneutic inquiry of high school principals’ roles as instructional leaders

Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The prevailing poor academic performance in South African high schools, particularly in grade 12, appeals for a persistent examination of high school principals’ roles as instructional leaders. Mathematics is one of the subjects that suffers the most. Drawing from Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics, I conceptually conduct a documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews to examine the roles of high school principals as instructional leaders from national education policies, and high three school principals from varying school contexts from two Western Cape Education Districts. To understand the principals’ roles as instructional leaders I constructed three meanings from the literature; these are stating the school’s vision and mission, managing the instructional programme, and creating and sustaining a culture that supports teaching and learning. These are further understood in their respective sub-meanings. The educational policies I analysed articulate these meanings in varying extents, some too implicitly. The high school principals also articulated these meanings at different degrees with regard to their contexts. Albeit their schools having schools vision displayed in their offices and some in school corridors, none of these principals mentioned the school vision as a strategy of influencing the direction of the school. None of the three principals has articulated the stating of vision and mission as his/her role working with other stakeholders. Nonetheless, the three principals articulated their roles as instructional leaders require them to act as both managers and leaders and the effects of asserting these roles in their schools’ academic results.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die heersende swak akademiese prestasie in Suid-Afrikaanse hoërskole, veral in graad 12, doen 'n beroep op 'n volgehoue ondersoek van hoërskoolhoofde se rolle as onderrigleiers. Wiskunde is een van die vakke wat die meeste ly. Op grond van Hans-Georg Gadamer se hermeneutiek voer ek konseptueel 'n dokumentêre analise en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude uit om die rolle van hoërskoolhoofde as onderrigleiers uit nasionale onderwysbeleid te ondersoek en hoe drie skoolhoofde uit verskillende skoolkontekste uit twee Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdistrikte hulle rolle interpreteer. Om die prinsipale se rolle as onderrigleiers te verstaan, het ek drie betekenisse uit die literatuur opgebou; Dit dui op die skool se visie en missie, bestuur die onderrigprogram en skep en onderhou 'n kultuur wat onderrig en leer ondersteun. Dit word verder in hulle onderskeie sub-betekenisse verstaan. Die opvoedkundige beleid wat ek geanaliseer het, verwoord hierdie betekenisse in wisselende mate, sommige te implisiet. Die hoërskoolhoofde het ook hierdie betekenisse op verskillende grade verwoord met betrekking tot hul kontekste. Alhoewel hul skole skolevisie in hul kantore en sommige in skoolkorridors het, het geen van hierdie hoofde die skoolvisie genoem as 'n strategie om die rigting van die skool te beïnvloed nie. Nie een van die drie prinsipale het die verklaring van visie en missie geopper nie, aangesien sy / haar rol met ander belanghebbendes werk. Tog het die drie prinsipale hul rolle geartikuleer, aangesien onderrigleiers hulle vereis om as bestuurders en leiers op te tree en die uitwerking daarvan om hierdie rolle in die akademiese resultate van hul skole te beweer.
Description
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Hermeneutics, High school principals, High schools -- Administration, Gadamer, Hans-Georg -- Philosophy, Ricœur, Paul -- Philosophy, Secondary school teaching -- South Africa -- Western Cape, UCTD, Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary)
Citation