Management experiences of two female principals in secondary schools in the Obonjeni district of KwaZulu-Natal. The study entitled “Management Experiences of Two Female Principals in Secondary Schools in Obonjeni District” is my own work.
Statement of problem
And it is on this basis that I am curious to investigate how women high school principals perceive their roles and responsibilities in Obonjeni district.
Rationale for the study
Focus of the study
Purpose of the study
Significance of the study
Since the study was to be conducted on female high school principals in rural communities, it was of utmost importance to hear their voices sharing their management experiences. The researcher also hoped that the study would be valuable by upgrading management skills of women principals and those interested in becoming school principals.
Methodology
Furthermore, the study would help researchers and authors to know and understand how women principals engage in managing their schools to fulfill their school's goals and mission. Furthermore, the findings of this study would help policy makers ensure that policies that address gender inequalities are implemented and monitored.
Clarification of concepts
Management
Leadership
The data collected from documentary sources will be qualitatively coded, recorded and analyzed using the general principle of codification (Giacchino & Kakabadse, 2003). Although the definitions show some distinction between the two concepts, at some point there is significant overlap and shared meaning.
Outline of the chapters 1 Chapter 1
Furthermore, the sampling methods used are explained, the justification for the choice of two secondary schools is discussed and why the researcher considered the method used to be most suitable. However, it is also cautioned that the overall picture is more than what has been discussed in this paper.
Introduction
Literature Review
- The position of South African women in management positions prior and post democratisation in 1994
- The women paths to principalship
- The differences between men and women principals
- Gender differences in leadership and management styles
As a result, the under-representation of women has been proven even in school leadership teams. This is evident in the number of women who are employed in leadership positions in secondary schools.
Theoretical frameworks
Feminist theory
- Liberal feminist
- Radical feminism
- Marxist feminism
- Socialist feminism
- Black feminist
Liberal feminists appeal to the central principles of liberty, equality, and justice for all to justify women's rights (Grogan, 1996). They further postulate that Marxist feminists advocate efforts to draw social attention to the need to compensate for women's work in the home (p.39).
Policy implementation analysis theory
The Ministry of Education can issue policies mandating gender equality and equal employment for all, but the mandate cannot force implementers to accept female principals as potential good managers. Laws and policies promulgated by the Ministry of Education, mandates for fair labor practices, and equal employment opportunities in management positions could not force policy implementers to accept female directors as equally as men.
Conclusion
Thus, policies and actions at best, to support gender equality, cannot instruct the implementers to consider women as potential leaders and managers who can lead and manage successfully. The next chapter will take us to the methodology and methods used in the study.
Introduction
Research design
In another development, McMillan and Schumacher (2006) argue that a research design is an arrangement of the study, the participants, and the data collection methods used. The choice of this research design is closely related to its suitability to answer the research questions. Furthermore, the reason for qualitative research is to provide valid and reliable results (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006).
Research methodology
Against this background, the study was carried out in two high schools respectively under the guidance of female principals. And to generate an understanding of and insight into particular institution (Rule and John, 2011), two women principals were selected for this study. Therefore, the validity of this study rests on the in-depth understanding of how female principals define their management functions in high schools.
Research approach
A case study methodology is applied for this study because it enables a researcher to investigate a particular case in great depth. Case study research is therefore strong in fact, and is useful in providing relevant background information that can give rise to the extended investigations. Although two high schools led by female principals is a limited number compared to the number of high schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, qualitative research does not require generalization about the entire population.
Research paradigms and Paradigm Wars
In contrast to post-positivists, who believe that the researcher and the participants are interdependent (Robinson, 2002), constructivists believe that the questioner and the respondent influence each other. The researcher in this study adopted an epistemological stance by participating in interviews as one of the interactive methods of collecting data. In conclusion, the values in this paradigm that influence the researcher are made explicit to the person being studied, in contrast to positivists who believe that the methods for studying the social world should be value-free (Mertens, 1998).
Research population
Sampling technique
Description of the sampled school
Data collection methods
Data collection process
Interviews conducted with participants from School-A
After clarifying all ethical issues such as confidentiality and anonymity, I requested permission to use the tape recorder to obtain an accurate representation of the content of the interview. The fact that the location was close to the staff room meant that the interview was disrupted at times by a lot of noise. After informing her about the study and its purpose, I explained all ethical issues, such as confidentiality and anonymity.
Interviews conducted with participants from School-B
Permission was sought and granted to use the tape recorder during the interview process. The interview went well, despite many brief interruptions by teachers and students. The focus of the interview was mainly on her experiences as a female principal in high school.
Documentary review
Data Analysis
Ethical issues
Limitations of the study
Conclusion
All the participants' responses were analyzed and interpreted using content analysis to provide meanings, focusing on the managerial experiences of female principals in high schools as a unit of analysis. Content analysis was found to be appropriate for this study because the purpose of content analysis is to analyze raw data in a brief summary format in order to clarify the relationships between the objectives of the subject and the findings. Another perspective on analysis comes from Elo and Kyngas (2008) who suggest that content analysis obtains a shortened and broad description of the phenomenon.
Data presentation and discussion of findings
Perceptions of staff towards female and male principals
- Challenges during recruitment stage
- Challenges women principals encountered on the assumption of duty
- Challenges woman principals encounter when performing their duties
Still on the issue of perceptions towards the female principal, the female HOD-B (P-B) indicated that staff respected and feared men in the workplace compared to their female counterparts because of the position of authority they (male) hold in comparison with women. Responses given by male staff regarding their perceptions of staff for female and male principals revealed that perceptions were the same. According to her, the effective learning process is based on the support of parents and the school.
The ways women principals dealt with challenges
If the teacher threatened these students to take them to the principal, they didn't care. Regarding the challenges presented by students, P-A mentioned the issue of students' attitude towards learning, which she believed caused a lack of discipline among them. Based on the above argument, it can be concluded that these two principals had common ways of solving problems.
Attitudes towards the women principals
The above responses indicate that the principal of School-A received a positive attitude from both the school's male leadership team and male educators (teachers) in the Level 1 position, excluding individuals who have been in the field for a long time but have not been promoted. Regarding the issue of the attitude of the staff towards the principal, 3 participants from School-B (P-B, DP-B and male HOD-B) expressed the opinion that the attitude of educators and educators (teachers) at higher level 1 towards the principal was positive. This means that the attitude of teachers in school B towards the principal was acceptable to both male and female teachers, regardless of their position.
Parents
In response to the question about parents' attitude towards the principal (P-A), the deputy principal (DP-A) and the female head of department (HOD-A) had a similar view that parents have a positive attitude towards their principal. The male HOD-A had a different view on the issue of parents' attitude towards the principal. Still on attitudes of parents towards the school principal, DP-B mentioned that some parents whose learners were enrolled in the school had a negative attitude towards the school principal at the beginning.
Management styles
Still on the issue of the principal's leadership style, the male HOD-A described P-A as an open and transparent person. The female HOD-A concurred with this view by saying that the principal shared leadership with everyone in the school. The male HOD-B and DP-B also shared similar responses that the principal's leadership style was democratic.
School Governing Body (SGB) and their interactions with the principal
Therefore, based on the above responses, one could conclude that the interaction between P-B and the SBL was acceptable. In other words, the above reaction revealed that if the principal cooperates with the SBL problems are minimal. This implies that positive interaction between the principal and the SBL has a great impact on the performance of the principals.
Personal background and early influences
In all the requests we have made to the SBL, including study guides and other teaching aids, we have always received a positive response. This finding is consistent with Nkonyane's (2008) position, which maintains that the principal who was not recommended by the SBL because the school had too many women, never enjoyed support from the SBL. He pointed out that the SBL mobilized the community against her and accused her of undermining the parents.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it is clear that personal backgrounds and early influences can have a positive or negative impact on directors' management style. This implies that early influences and backgrounds played a role in the way principals governed their schools. This chapter focuses on the summary, conclusion and recommendation of the study on the management experiences of two female secondary school principals.
Summary
Conclusions
The positive interaction between the principal and the school management contributed to the effective and efficient management of these two principals. It was established that decision-making was not the sole responsibility of the principal, but was shared with the entire staff. This led her to enjoy the support of all members of the school's governing council.
Recommendations
Life histories of three African female school principals in the EThekwini region, a thesis submitted for the master's degree. The study aims to investigate how secondary school principals play their roles as managers and leaders and how they deal with challenges while carrying out their duties. This study aims to investigate how secondary school principals play their roles as managers and leaders and how they deal with challenges while performing these functions.
Interview schedules for the principals
Briefly tell me the attitudes of male teachers in SMT towards your principal as a woman. Please tell me about the attitudes of male level 1 educators towards the principal in your school. From your position as vice director/department manager, what is the attitude of women in SMT towards your director as a woman.
Document analysis schedule
Minutes of the meetings
School policies
Time book
Leave register
6.Control book
