Principals' and teachers' expectations of the new curriculum
Challenges of the new curriculum policy facing principals
FOCUS AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The development of the new curriculum in South Africa requires effective leadership and management of its programs among principals. The new curriculum dispensation requires a wealth of new skills, understanding and knowledge of curriculum development leadership and management at the school level that many principals, including myself, do not possess.
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
In particular, the researcher observed that primary school principals and teachers in the Lower Umfolozi district of KwaZulu-Natal had difficulty adapting to their roles, as well as new channels of communication and cascading of curriculum-related matters with each other within the school. This study therefore aims to investigate the leadership roles of principals in curriculum development at the school level in Lower Umfolozi District.
RA TI ON ALE FOR THE STUDY
I also lacked skills and knowledge in leadership and management in curriculum development, which were requirements outlined in the new curriculum. The research will provide an informed understanding of the four criteria proposed for successful leadership management in curriculum development at school level.
SYNOPSIS OF THE CHAPTERS
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
This chapter provides narrative vignettes of both participating schools and their principals to gain a deeper understanding of the participants, their environmental settings as well as their biographies as these could allude to their personal engagement with curriculum development leadership. It serves to synthesize the arguments of the study by briefly summarizing the main findings as well as the background, purpose and critical questions of the research project.
CONCLUSION
It also highlights the challenges and concerns I encountered in trying to gain access to certain schools and participating principals. To conclude the study, recommendations are made to empower primary school principals to meet their curriculum development challenges.
INTRODUCTION
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP
Arenas of curriculum development leadership
Curriculum development takes place at different levels of distance from the students for whom it is intended. While in a South African context, curriculum development takes place at the macro level (national level), meso level (provinces, districts and schools) and micro level, i.e. the planning of individual lessons or units (Chisholm, 2008).
LEADERSHIP: IS THERE A DEFINITION?
This district support structure must liaise with principals and teachers to assist and support curriculum development at both the meso and micro levels. When viewed closely, principals influence curriculum development activities as well as teachers' behaviors to engage in the process of curriculum development (Marsh, 2003).
THEORISING ABOUT LEADERSHIP IN CURRICULUM
- Instructional leadership
- Transformational leadership
- Facilitative/ Participative leadership
- Process and team leadership
- Managerial leadership
The principal is the facilitator of the participatory curriculum development process, which can be conceptualized as “distributed” curriculum development leadership (Neuman & Simmons, 2000), as well as facilitative leadership (Steyn, 2002). The principal therefore leads the curriculum development plan team, emphasizing the central importance of the process to the overall management of the school (Dunford et.al, 2000).
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Essentially, a curriculum leader needs both leadership and management skills to be effective as a curriculum leader in a school context. Functions such as strategic planning, building the school's vision, contact with all education stakeholders and staff development can be identified as the functions of a curriculum manager.
STYLE APPROACH AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Curriculum management functions will include teacher curriculum meetings, task lists, and administration of curriculum resources (Sterling & Davidoff, 2000).
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD CURRICULUM LEADER
Planning
Planning involves relating current needs to those that aspire to the future, recognizing and distinguishing between what is important and what is merely urgent, forecasting future trends, as well as analysis (Pillay, 2003). The ability to identify, collect and use data, as well as evidence to inform planning, is required by curriculum leaders for effective curriculum development (Department of Education, 2009).
Creating fair and caring systems
In particular, the study explores primary school principals' understanding of the leadership role of curriculum development they command in their schools. Principals have limited involvement in organizing and staffing curriculum development programs in their schools. The main roles of curriculum development leaders include the supervision and monitoring of curriculum development programs within the school (Pillay, 2003).
Three of the participating principals do not involve newly appointed pedagogues in curriculum development activities. In particular, the study examined primary school principals' understanding of their curriculum development leadership role in their schools. Conversely, the principals in the study do not resource (staff for) curriculum development activities in their schools.
To observe the principal of the second primary school holding a curriculum development meeting with her teachers.
THE ROLE OF PRINCIPALS IN STAFF DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUSION
In this chapter I discussed curriculum development as a process, its levels in general education within a South African dispensation, as well as the conceptualization of leadership. Leadership and the various theories that support curriculum development were the focus of this chapter. Finally, this chapter also focused on the connection between staff development and curriculum development.
INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH DESIGN...................................................................................... 3 I
Case study
This case study sought to systematically investigate and inquire into a selection of South African principals' understanding of their curriculum development leadership role in relation to the primary school. The case study requires multi-methods to really capture the case in some depth (Henning, 2004). The use of multi-methods in the data collection process is the fundamental strength of the case study (Cohen, Manion & . Morrison, 2007).
Theoretical framework
Finally, in the context of site-based curriculum development leadership and management, leadership is potentially available to any legitimate stakeholder (Leithwood, . 1999). Despite the above evidence, there is a continuing focus on participatory and distributed curriculum development leadership. A strictly school-based curriculum development role is no longer an option for South African principals.
SAMPLING AND ACCESS
Dress code of the interviewer
He stated that, as a general rule, the interviewer should dress in a manner similar to that of the people he is going to interview. On the other hand, a 'poorly dressed' interviewer may encounter similar difficulties in interviewing respondents who may be more affluent. In this research project involving primary school principals, I did not have any difficulties as I am a principal familiar with the psychological impact of the dress code.
DA TA GATHERING METHODS
The principals in the study experienced difficulties in separating their role in managing curriculum development from their curriculum. Observing how the principal of the fourth primary school holds a curriculum development meeting with his teachers. I will conduct observations at leadership meetings on curriculum development, interviews with school principals and document analyses.
Observations
In addition, I also chose this observation method to understand the principals' assumptions and beliefs about their role as curriculum development leaders. The purpose of conducting observation sessions was basically to gain a deeper insight and understanding of how principals manage curriculum development processes in their schools. These helped me describe principals' basic actions, as well as capture key phrases and words uttered by principals during curriculum development meetings.
Personal reflective journal
The focus was on principals' behavior patterns and teachers' actions, including reactions, during these meetings. Additionally, I focused on each principal's assumption and belief about his or her role as a curriculum developer within the school. In addition, it helped me conceptualize their leadership beliefs and expectations in order to relate them to participative and facilitative leadership, which is the theoretical framework at the core of this study.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
ETHICAL ISSUES
The selected primary schools are public schools and the participants (principals) are employed by the Ministry of Education in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Other elementary school principals who participated in the study signed the consent form indicating their willingness to participate in the data construction process (see Appendix E). To avoid this risk of presumed consent, I informed the primary school principals about the purpose, procedures, and benefits of the study.
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
This is another indication of the lack of understanding of the leadership role of curriculum development among the principals who participated in this research project. It can be conceptualized as leading distributed curriculum development (Neuman & Simmons, 2000), and also as place. To observe the principal of the third school conducting a curriculum development meeting with her teachers.
NARRATCVE VIGNETTES OF PARTICIPANTS
A narrative vignette of Mr. Shabane
It has eleven classrooms, a principal's office, staff room and two offices for department heads. The school is classified as quintile 2 and no school fees are paid as a result of the low socio-economic status of the surrounding community. There is a feeding program provided by the National School Programme, an initiative run by the Department of Education and Health.
A narrative vignette of Mrs. Mshazi
Mrs. Mshazi's school is safely built with thirteen classrooms, six offices, a locker, running water and toilets. The principal's office is well furnished and decorated with trophies and certificates obtained by the school. The school is located in a poverty-stricken community, where 99% of parents are unemployed.
A narrative vignette of Ms. Langa
Due to the increase in vandalism, theft and assault, targeting both teachers and students, the Ministry of Education (KZN) decided in 2003 to move the school to a safer location at the Somopho Tribal Authority. All teachers live in the towns of Empangeni and Richards Bay, and travel approximately 15 km to reach the school. Students' parents earn their living mainly from pensions and social benefits, due to the low socio-economic background from which they come.
A narrative vignette of Mr. Mtshali
The above evidence illustrates that principals are unclear about their curriculum development roles in their schools. The evidence above reflects that the principals who participated in the study have limited involvement in organizing and staffing curriculum development activities within their schools. From the evidence, we can see that the principals who participated in the study tend to delegate their main curriculum development roles to department heads.
It also appears from the principals' claims that the educational institutions they mentioned do not offer courses in curriculum development management. These findings reveal that the primary school principals who participated in this study lack an in-depth understanding of their role in curriculum development management in their schools.
PRINCIPALS' UNDERSTANDINGS OF THEIR ROLE AS
Principals' perceived curriculum development management as
The principals have a narrow understanding of curriculum planning
Principals inadequately supervise and monitor curriculum development
Principals provide technical support rather than qualitative curriculum
Principals practise participative curriculum development management
Principals struggle to understand and apply ideas presented at principals'
Principals have a closed system of cascading information on
The school's structural context can promote or hinder the adoption of participatory curriculum development leadership and management. My study is titled, “Exploring curriculum development leadership: a case study of four primary school principals in the lower Umfolozi circle”. My study is titled, “Exploring curriculum development leadership: a case study of four primary school principals in the lower Umfolozi circle”.
Principals' prior training does not support their role as
RECOMMENDATIONS
However, if principals are to effectively lead curriculum development in their schools, it is necessary. For decades, elementary school principals have depended on their own teaching experience and theories that fit them to assume leadership roles in curriculum development. Finally, the elementary school principals who participated in this study are highly dependent on subject advisors and district staff regarding curriculum development in general and in
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
In several provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal, there appear to be many newly appointed subject advisors who have received less curriculum training than principals and teachers themselves, and who do not appear to have sufficient experience in developing and teaching of this (Taylor, 2009). The Ministry of Education must formulate strategies for the development of subject advisors and clearly define their intermediary roles in helping schools.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
It is their duty to lead curriculum development to transform their schools. There is also a need to examine the leadership roles of teaching and learning specialists and senior teaching and learning professionals compared to the leadership roles of heads of department and deputy heads in curriculum development.
CONCLUSION
The impact of the principal's instructional leadership on the culture of teaching and learning in the school. Most teachers do not have a copy of the National Policy on Assessment and Qualifications for Schools in the GET Band. The Principal read out some important items listed in the policy document for evaluation.
The director and some members of the SMT do not understand the assessment processes as described in the National Assessment Policy. The acting department head outlined the agenda of the meeting: 'Feedback for the cluster workshops to be included in the planning'.
