- Personal - Profesional
- Communal Relations
The main concern of this research was to find out how these three schools manage quality teaching and learning in a rural context. It is interesting to note that there were many factors that contributed to the quality of teaching and learning in these schools.
The common factors are leadership choices and teachers instructional decisions includes the following: active role play by the principal in supporting teaching and learning, professional development, community relations, flexibility of leadership style, medium of instruction, teaching methods, cultural ethos, language of the community and resources. The following section will look at these crucial practices in detail:
mentioned above that teachers are attending lectures or studying together with their school managers, this would lead to the sharing of ideas on personal level because putting together principals and teachers open an enough gap to discuss any issues on personal grounds with teachers and develop opportunities for teachers to discuss their problems and principals on personal capacity. Before the democratic government took over in South Africa, there was a huge gap between teachers and principals, there was no mixing between teachers and principals teachers had to take instructions from principals.
In these three schools teachers are attending with their principals, this shows that better relations have been created in these schools that will lead to a healthy environment and improve teaching and learning in the schools. The role of principals is crucial in providing resources to the teachers, employing qualified teachers, creating a conducive climate for teaching and learning sustaining discipline and so on. This enabled the support and accountability to work in a way that enabled quality teaching and learning in these schools. An active leader should possess the ability to organise, maintain authority and discipline and improve human relations. This point was expressed by the principal of Zwelihle, when he claimed that principal needs to be strong, have a vision and pursue the goals of the school and not of individuals. These goals must be identified by all staff members and not by the principal alone so that all staff members can own them. Genuine consultation and participation is needed as a change strategy and should be introduced gradually, with appropriate preparation at each stage.
The quality of strong leadership roles appearing to be one of maintaining a peaceful atmosphere in schools in order for teaching and learning to take place.
5.1.1 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL)
Level Two: this section looks at accountability as a space for personal and professional development. Itis the responsibility of every teacher to develop him/herself personally
and professionally. This can be achieved through attending professional development programmes, furthering studies in higher education institutions, reskilling and updating with current issues in the educational system.
When school managers and teachers working together studying together and attending workshop, programmes like Developmental Appraisal System and any other educational programmes that allow teachers and school managers to develop their skills that should be fully encouraged. The three schools in this study have shown great success in their school because of the collaboration between school managers and the teachers. When principals attending workshops they attend with their teachers so that all of them benefit on personal capacity as well as professionally. Principals should not limit their relationship only within the school premises, they should also take them outside the school premises. Teachers should be able to joke with their principal and play games, talk any personal issues that would make teachers effectively, if they can discuss and talk with their principals openly on any issues pertaining to school or not.
All three schools agree that professional development programmes is seen as a priority for teachers to participate effectively in. Ithelps serving teachers in updating them with the latest development in education. All schools maintained that these programmes assisted them in achieving quality teaching and learning in their schools.
The principals in the three schools practiced open communication as a means of professional development and a means of creating strong interpersonal relations in their schools. Teachers were allowed to express their feelings about school policy and school management issues. The flexibility of school managers allows members of the community to communicate and participate in the school matters. Flexibility in the school governance also contributes to the efficient running of the school, where teachers are allowed to voice their opinions and make their choices for decision making. The
principals of these schools have also expressed that they are prepared to go an extra mile to assist their staff in matters regarding their teaching or providing moral support and sometimes in giving advice to them. These principals have developed good human relations and interpersonal relations with their staff and this is because of their democratic leadership style. Principals who practice this form of leadership style encourage interaction to take place amongst various stakeholders and the healthy cultural climate prevails in their schools.