Data for this study was collected through semi-structured interviews with eight teachers at Mbonisweni Primary, including the school principal, four management team members and the four teachers (two women and two men). Although three-quarters of the women interviewed also supported female management, it was clear that there was no comprehensive sisterhood bond that resulted in women automatically supporting women on the school's management team.
CHAPTERl INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
- Introduction
- Motivation of the study
- Personal experiences and socio-economic history of my school
- Brief description of primary school management in South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
- The research questions
- Conclusion
Some members of the School Governing Body (SGB) and parents, especially males, are sometimes antagonistic towards female leaders. As a member of the school's management team, I participate in some of the meetings involving SGB.
Literature review and theoretical framework of the study 2.1 Introduction
- Women in management positions
- Perceptions of women in management positions .1 Women are less capable of leadership
- Some men and women find it difficult to work under a women management
- Theoretical framework
- Conclusion
Although many women are now appointed to management positions, they still experience various forms of discrimination. Some cultural practices often influence the preference of men over women when management positions are vacant in schools, even when women are appointed to leadership positions, there are still prejudices against them (Baron, 2000: 211). They are under constant public scrutiny due to the perception that women are less able to deal with crises, which in fact affects their management capabilities.
Chisholm states that women continue to experience the problem of a lack of acceptance from colleagues at work, and that there is a lack of mentoring programs to accelerate their professional development and little or no support from their husbands. A universalist feminist position is that women are biologically equal to men, but have historically been denied equality. Scholars have debated the patriarchal view that women are considered unsuitable for higher positions due to common stereotypes that women are weak, whose place is in the kitchen and best at nurturing.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction
- Research Method
- Reasons for choosing the research method
- Sampling and the participants in the study
- Action process in"the study
- The research instruments (procedure)
- Limitations and the ethical issues
- Research Questions
- Conclusion
Since this study focuses on gender issues, one would expect a gender balance in the constitution of the participants. 80% of the participants were comfortable with the English language, while 20% decided to code-switch: mixing English with Zulu. During the transcription, I decided not to translate Zulu into English in order to preserve the original ideas and attitudes of the participants.
I sometimes had to drive to the educators' houses at night and in the winter. The participants initially did not feel comfortable with the type of questions that were asked. By asking educators a question similar to that asked of the female manager and the deputy manager, I hoped to obtain a balanced view of the gendered nature of management in the school.
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 4.1 Introduction
Biographical Data
She was in her late forties and was a deputy principal serving under a male principal. She was a post level one educator for more than ten years before joining Mpwesweni Primary School. Ntuli had a senior diploma in education and was well versed in gender as she had attended workshops on gender in recent years.
He was married, had two children, both boys, and had taught for eight years in another school before being promoted as HOD in his current school. Apart from being the HOD of his school, he was also the sports organizer of the school. The other teacher at a level was Mr. Khoza, he was unmarried and lived with his parents.
The experiences of the Manager (principal) and Deputy Manager (Vice- Principal) in management
All four teachers studied on a part-time basis at different institutions to improve their qualifications. Some used their own transport, others came to school by public transport. Some women felt (and feel) overwhelmed and oppressed in such situations because they had to take everything men said to them as correct.
Mthethwa portrays hegemonic masculinity, defined by RW Connell as a gender practice that represents an accepted response to the problem of the authority of patriarchy, which ensures the dominance of the position of men over that of women. Kheswa acknowledges the strong influence of SGS and their influence in selecting the candidate they want. The following paragraphs will be devoted to the experiences of specialized educators working under the leadership of a female leader.
The experiences of HODs (Specialist Educators) towards the female manager
Khuzwayo showed the knowledge of patriarchy which he believed could have influenced the thinking of the female manager and he also acknowledged that women were oppressed in the past and are still vulnerable to the power of man. He considered the fact that his principal expected him to play his role as an HOD, but felt that she exercised too much authority. Gender balance was revealed in his experience as he acknowledged the fact that some men also have problems in the way things are handled.
The same question about whether men are better suited than women to fill the management position or not, is also to Mrs. Ntuli directed and her response showed that she was of the opinion that men and women should do this. This was supported by the use of the collective noun 'people' in the quote about experiences. The opinions of the department heads, (one female and one male), overlapped considerably in some cases.
The perceptions of female educators under female management
You don't feel free to tell your family problems to a male principal, it's better if it's a female because she'll give you advice from skills you've learned from home, but there are times when you really don't do I would prefer to work under a male principal because female principals, you know (bayanaka) they investigate little things, they. Sithole showed that she is more interested in the female side of the female principal, than her management part.
However, she was hesitant about having a female principal as a leader, due to what she perceived as her principal's weaknesses. It was difficult to ascertain her perception of the principal, but she saw both principals and female principals as staff.
The perception of two male educators towards female management·
Zungu's responses focused on one type of perception, the perception that men are not better than women. The relationship with the principal is good, but others have said bad things about her because her personality is unstable. I would add more men to the schools, but overall there are fewer men than women, but we are strong.
The obstacles In the way of a successful female manager
Kheswa was aware that her colleagues opposed her, but she believed that she was a better manager because she had skills acquired as a mother that men usually did not have. Women face all kinds of challenges if they want to move up the ladder. They are considered emotionally weak and if named, find themselves marginalized.
Kheswa's answer to the following question showed that although she tried to establish good relations in her school, but still she succumbed to stress due to educators who at some point did not heed her authority. Kheswa's statement it prevailed that his gender was unbiased, it is qualified by using the collective word 'they' or by using both pronouns 'he or her'. She is aware that some obstacles are the result of male or female educators who are her subordinates who may resent her or feel that she is inadequate or feel that female principals give too much instruction as one of the participants said earlier in this chapter: She likes not at her words. Mrs Kheswa was not happy in the way some women see themselves because of stereotypes against them.
The promotion of gender equity and equality at school The main purpose of the curriculum is to develop students' minds in such a
34;schooling plays a central role in the socialization of boys and girls for their ultimate contribution to the economy: the cycle of gender differentiation is reproduced and reinforced in the classroom through the curriculum as well as through educator expectations and the roles that male and female educators fulfill . " (Kotecha, 1994, 22). The Department of Education not only designed a policy document, but also provided it to all educators as a way of emphasizing the importance of knowing their rights in the workplace. In working towards the answer above, I asked the two HODs the following question: Have you promoted gender equality and equity in your school.
You know you used to have things that were to be done by girls alone, like cleaning, sweeping the floor, and there were those that were only to be done by boys, like cleaning the blackboard, moving desks and all that hard work. She knew that the upbringing of children from home and schools would influence how boys and girls would perceive each other in the future. Some were not concerned about who ran the school, while others expressed their concern about the leader; however, some men are still in the patriarchal thought system.
Summary of findings
Khuzwayo, on the other hand, is still locked into the 'male-stream' way of thinking about the gendered nature of men's and women's activities. Analyzing the findings, I discovered that the participants had different feelings about the female managers. 75% of men's responses had positive perceptions about female managers due to their previous experience of female managers, although the latter had some reservations about female managers.
This research also found that there was resistance among both men and women to certain aspects of women's leadership when they hold management positions. 75% of men supported the idea of female managers, although stereotypes still hinder their thinking towards women. Of the eight participants, two were against female management and six were in favor of female management.
DISCUSSIONS OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction
- The perceptions and experiences of school management team (SMT)
- The perception and experiences of educators towards their female manager
- The promotion of gender equity and equality by all educators
- Recommendations
- Conclusion
The female leaders interviewed in Mbisweni primary school also felt that some educators undermined their authority. This study showed that women show less resistance from both men and women under their management, although there are still preconceived notions that influence the way of thinking about the women managers. The findings in this study also revealed that female leaders are able to use their position to bend teachers to their will.
The relationship and perceptions of teachers and women managers are to some extent dependent on the previous beliefs and teachings. Educators, both men and women, are surprisingly ambivalent when it comes to their views on women managers and gender equality. However, there are very few educators who do not support or critically approach female managers at all. One female teacher showed two sides of her feelings about the female manager.
Men and gender activism in South Africa: observations, criticisms and recommendations for the future. 2002) The working conditions and careers of female teachers in KwaZulu-Natal.
