This study examined the leadership role of district officials in supporting teaching and learning in schools. Among the most important lessons learned from this study is that it is essential for the district office to have a common philosophy on how teaching and learning should be strengthened.
- Introduction and background to the study
- Statement of the problem and purpose of the study
- Objectives of the study
- Research questions
- Significance of the study
- Clarification of concepts
- Educational leadership
- Education district office
- District as an open system
- District leadership role
- District officials
- Teaching and learning
- Limitations of the study
- Delimitations
- Assumptions
- Organisation of the study
- Chapter summary
Next, this study describes what might be learned from the district leadership role of DOs in supporting teaching and learning in schools. This study focused on the leadership roles and practices of DOs in supporting teaching and learning in schools.
Introduction
Conceptualising the term ‘educational leadership.’
- Educational leadership for teaching and learning
This statement is consistent with the core curriculum conception of teaching and learning outlined in Chapter 1. In the next section, I discuss the importance of district leadership in leading and supporting teaching and learning.
Why district officials matter in the context of leading teaching and learning
- District collective efficacy for improving teaching and learning
Thus, their findings suggest that student achievement across the district is positively impacted when district leaders effectively carry out their leadership responsibilities. However, they noted that there is still uncertainty about the role and responsibilities of the district leadership.
District leadership: South African perspectives
Anderson (2003, p. 3) claimed that lack of attention to the district's role in improving teaching and learning became evident “in the heyday of the restructuring era, especially in the context of policies that emphasized decentralization and STC as the vehicle for change. ". A study conducted by Mavuso (2013) on two districts in the Eastern Cape Province further confirmed this view.
Some key district leadership practices that enhance teaching and learning
- Establishing and communicating shared vision and mission
- Focus on instructional leadership
- Providing professional development and capacity
- District office providing differentiated support to schools
- Data-informed decision-making as a strategy for learning improvement
- Collaborative culture and professional learning across the district and schools
- Fostering district and community partnerships
However, according to Christie et al. 2007), high performing schools do not receive support from districts in SA. In this approach, DOs often have competing visions of improvement (Spillane cited in Anderson et al., 2012).
Some district officials’ leadership challenges
This confirms the study of Corcoran et al., 2013), who found that “the circles themselves were not focused. The biggest barriers to improving teaching and learning in schools are the unmanageable number of initiatives pursued by the [district] office and the total lack of coherence between those initiatives … the saying "What gets monitored gets done".
Conclusion
The review then set out a conceptual and empirical discussion of the core practices undertaken by DOs to support teaching and learning. Furthermore, the literature reviewed in this chapter indicated that district offices are a valuable resource in supporting teaching and learning for quality education.
Introduction
However, some argue for the interchangeable use of the two terms and refer to theoretical (or conceptual) frameworks or "a theoretical model/conceptual framework" (Schulz cited in Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 86). Referring to research in general, Maxwell (2005, p. 46) suggests that "every research design needs some [emphasis original] theory of the phenomena you are studying ... to inform the other design decisions you will make direct". Maxwell (2005) claims that a theoretical framework for research studies is most useful when it integrates theories that capture different aspects of the phenomenon under study.
Education districts as open social systems
As discussed in Chapter 1, the district is a complex system involving overlapping layers, where the roles of officials are "variably interrelated." This therefore calls for a theory that will address their “complexity and adaptability” and the “interdependence of the roles they play” (Rorrer et al., 2008, p. 336). Systems theory emphasizes the adaptability of organizations to the environment and recognizes the formal and informal features of the organization (Hoy & Miskel, 2008; Scott, 2003).
The Public Educational leadership Project Coherence Framework (PELP Framework)
- Conceptualising teaching and learning as an instructional core
- Theory of change and strategy
- Interdependent district elements
- Environment
- Differentiation and integration
Districts must begin with an understanding of the nature of this task (Childress et al., 2007). This work, the teaching core, is the concept that describes the critical teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom (Childress et al., 2007). While structures and systems are separate elements, Childress et al. 2007) claim that these are interdependent and are discussed together.
Adaptive Leadership Theory
- The Illusion of the Broken System
- Distinguishing Technical Problems from Adaptive Challenges
- Distinguishing Leadership from Authority
- Getting on the balcony
For DOs, this mobilization does not occur in the conventional practice of top-down authority, but rather requires a shift in thinking that redefines traditional views of leadership and distributes authority to all key stakeholders, often across multiple systems (Senge et al., 2010 ) ). Theorizing Adaptive Leadership, Heifetz et al. 2009) based this approach on the concepts of the illusion of the broken system, technical and adaptive challenges, leadership and authority, living in disequilibrium and getting on the balcony. Unfortunately, this continues even though the evidence of failure is evident in the hope for a different outcome.
Three-pronged theoretical framework
Conclusion
I suggest that Heifetz's adaptive leadership model helps explain the DOs' leadership practices that support teaching and learning. This theory also conceptualizes adaptive leadership as a shared activity in which leaders holding formal and informal authority and stakeholders face technical and adaptive dilemmas. With these elements and the environment in this complex district system, challenges and work may require DOs to exercise adaptive leadership.
Introduction
Locating the study within the philosophical stance of the constructivist paradigm
Therefore, I have adopted a relativist ontology that endorses multiple realities socially constructed by individuals from their contextual interpretation (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This study focused on the many realities of DOs regarding their leadership role in supporting teaching and learning. However, meaning was not discovered, but constructed through the interaction between perception and the world; I tried to get as close to the participants as possible (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
Locating this study within the terrain of the qualitative approach
In this case, it was the phenomenon of education district management to support teaching and learning from the point of view of the various education managers. Another essential characteristic of qualitative research is to develop a complex and holistic picture of the phenomenon under investigation. This can be in the form of quotations from the documents, field notes or participant interviews to support the findings of the study (Merriam, 2009).
Locating the study within Qualitative Case study design
- Sampling the cases and participants of this study
- Gaining access to the research sites
- Data generation methods
- Data analysis
After requesting their participation in the study, the following eight members of the DMTs agreed to participate. Most of the participants referred to me by the district directors also showed a willingness to be part of the study. In the second step, I read all the data to reflect on the overall meaning to get a general sense of the data and thoughts of the participants.
Trustworthiness of the research
Finally, the qualitative narrative included the description of the themes by weaving the emergent themes into narrative passages so that the results would logically emerge from the participants' responses (Creswell, 2014). The following sections define and explain the strategies used to address survey credibility. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) further argue that an adequate description of the research context allows readers to assess the similarity between their situations and the research context.
Ethical consideration
Conclusion
Introduction
Furthermore, I approached the data analysis in this way because the participants' accounts did not reveal significant differences between the two cases. In presenting and discussing the findings, I used verbatim quotations to ensure that the voices of the participants remained at the forefront of the data analysis. The five themes of the second part address DOs' conceptualization of their leadership role in supporting teaching and learning.
Profiling the participants
It is crucial that I profile DOs because they had different formal roles and could have different characteristics in terms of demographics. Under the DD are the CESs, which manage eight different sub-directorates: Curriculum, Circle Management, Human Resources, Finance, Education Support and Employee Relations. This study focuses on the district leadership teams that played a major role in supporting teaching and learning: the district director, district leadership and curriculum sub-directorates.
District officials’ conceptions of quality teaching and learning
DD2 further elaborated by stating that quality teaching and learning means that if assessments are standardized, students are performing above the goals set by the district. Another participant saw quality teaching and learning as ensuring that teachers are in the classroom's daily teaching. What emerged is that; DOs shared a diversity of views about how they conceptualized high-quality teaching and learning.
Role of developing strategic goals of improving learner performance
Because ultimately I want to be sure that the children can read and write. I've seen how we've turned around performance because of the decisions we've made as a district: who, this is what we're going to do. Synergy between different sub-structures of the district also proved to be crucial in ensuring that there is coordination of activities in support of schools.
District strategic planning and communication with principals
As CLI1 put it: We communicate it to all stakeholders in the neighborhood through meetings. They may not know the details, but they tell you there to say: this is what we stand for in the district. This shows how the involvement of DOs in monitoring teaching and learning could increase the involvement of all stakeholders in the school communities.
Provision of support for schools on curriculum related issues
This quote suggests that the role of district leadership in providing teacher content training is important to improve teaching and learning. Turning now to another challenge that participants felt hindered their efforts to improve teaching and learning. This is consistent with the overall impression of DOs' perceptions of the challenge they experience in balancing content coverage with quality teaching and learning.
Structural and policy-driven challenges faced by district officials
- Insufficient capacity in principals, SGBs, teachers, and district officials
- Misalignment between district and head office and within the district offices as
It also appeared that due to the restructuring of the districts, there were anomalies in the work districts organized to support the schools. It appeared that this anomaly created confusion in the circuit due to demands from both levels. Apparently, there was a disharmony in how the CLI unit and the circuit management unit worked.
Conclusion
The finding that district leadership plays a key role in providing direction and guidance to schools emerged. Another notable finding that emerged was district principals' strong beliefs about their responsibility for student achievement in their districts. The next chapter addresses this by reflecting on findings from district leadership practices that support teaching and learning.
Introduction
Using school data to support teaching and learning
For them to use data, all DOs indicated that the use of data management system, Data-Driven Dashboard (DDD), others use the term; DBE dashboard was beneficial. Literature supports the district leaders' use of data as a leadership practice that improves student achievement by improving teaching and learning (Honig et al., 2010;. When DOs have discussions with principals about the importance of data, principals will seem to understand the use of data not for compliance, but for them to make informed teaching and learning decisions.
DOs’ use of support structures as enablers to support teaching and learning
- Bridging the gap through availing resources
- Using MEC Ten Pillars as a frame to support teaching and learning
- System-Wide School Improvement Strategy curriculum management framework
The next section shifts the focus to the ten pillars of MEC as a system to support teaching and learning. The ten pillars of the Member of Executive Council (MEC) appear to shape DO's approach to supporting teaching and learning in all schools. Another finding that emerges is the importance of involving provincial leaders in efforts to improve teaching and learning.
Enacting a differentiated approach to supporting schools
It also emphasizes that DOs must take into account the contextual factors of schools, as the needs of schools may vary. Some participants stated that principals were supported based on what was revealed in the schools' needs analysis. This is how we monitor and measure the performance of schools in the outgoing year.
District officials’ visibility in schools
We monitor the first period, where teaching and learning take place in the first period. Working together as a team, both curriculum support and circuit management helped them to address both the quantity and quality of the work of supporting schools. There is also some indication that when DOs work together as a team, they improve their practices in supporting schools.
Garnering support through community-district partnerships
As we make sure that they support education in the various spaces where they sit... we need to emphasize mandates. They shared their concerns about how unions would intercept their attempts to ensure that schools operate in the interests of the core business of teaching and learning. Another concern participants raised about union interference in their processes to support teaching and learning was not being able to observe teaching in classrooms.
Use of accountability and support meetings with SMTs
It appears from the participants' accounts that DOs held accountability sessions with the schools, mainly with principals and deputy principals. So far in this theme, it appears that DOs have worked closely with the SMTs by having a conversation about learner achievement. She said: And the reason why we came up with the deputy head meeting, we asked, but what is the role of the deputy head.
Providing professional development for teachers, SMTs, principals and DOs
The following theme discusses how DOs provided professional development to support teaching and learning. Collaboration through PLCs between teachers and subject advisors appeared to help districts support teaching and learning by subject- and content-related sharing meetings. PLCs also emerged in the literature as key to sustaining teaching and learning improvement (DuFour & Marzano, 2011; Honig & Copland, 2014; Horton & Martin, 2013).
Conclusion
It has emerged that HoDs are key to ensuring that teaching and learning in schools is monitored and teachers are supported. There is also general agreement that developing the capacity of SBS as well as DOs promotes teaching and learning. Furthermore, collaboration and professional learning through PLSs by teachers and subject advisors appears to help districts support teaching and learning subject- and content-related sharing meetings.
Introduction
Great schools in poor districts eventually fail, while poor schools in great districts improve.
Summary of the research journey
I then discussed conceptual and empirical discussion of the core practices DOs enact to support teaching and learning in Section 2.5. In the literature review, I also highlighted some challenges that DOs experienced while trying to support teaching and learning. In Chapter 5 I focused on the understanding of DOs regarding their leadership, while in Chapter 6 I dwelled on the leadership practices that support teaching and learning; however, there were overlaps in these chapters.
Overarching findings and conclusions
- District Officials’ shared beliefs regarding district leadership role
- Promoting quality teaching and learning
- Cultivating a culture of shared responsibility and accountability with district
- Develop and communicate vision, goals, and targets for learner performance . 179
- Data-informed shared accountability and support meetings
- Effective communication as key
- District Officials’ visibility and accessibility in schools and communities
- Providing professional development for principals, HODs and teachers
- Provincial head office as an enabler
- Constraints that District officials faced
DOs believed that their vision of teaching and learning was objective-oriented as well as evidence-based. The second research question sought to determine district leadership practices that support teaching and learning. The PELP framework considers people's skills and knowledge as essential to the successful implementation of strategies to improve teaching and learning (Childress et al., 2007).
District officials’ leadership role for supporting teaching and learning - Lessons learnt 185
- Practising teaching and learning orientated leadership
Concluding remarks