3.7.1 School management team
The SMTs are expected to play a pivotal role in facilitating capacity building among their staff so that they are able to implement the grades 10-12 NCS (Mkhwanazi, 2007:2). For this capacity building to occur and flourish, the SMTs need to be conversant with all dimensions and intricacies of the new curriculum. Mkhwanazi (2007:2) further stresses that the SMT is expected to be at the core of conducting developmental meetings. As Ndou (2008:38) points out, the key role of the SMT is to encourage members of the staff to reflect upon, debate and agree on collective interpretations of how the grades 10-12 NCS should be taught and the range of experiences which learners should be offered. The SMTs should offer PD support for individual members of the teaching team and should have the ability to lead staff development (Ndou, 2008). Similarly, Mkhwanazi (2007:4) argues that teachers are expected to implement the new curriculum and the SMTs are expected to provide clarity, support and also monitor the process of curriculum implementation. Thus, the RSSTs are the ones to be professionally developed in order to cope with changes in the education system, and the SMTs will only succeed if the RSSTs are competent (Mkhwanazi, 2007). Malesa (2007:49) adds that support may be given in terms of restructuring the curriculum team to strengthen it, bringing in an expert to act as a consultant, reassigning roles and responsibilities within the existing system, and providing time for INSET.
Unfortunately, the SMTs are challenged to show through practice and support how they are able to extend broader management actions to support classroom management (Malesa, 2007; Hlongwane, 2008; Nkambule, 2010). Mkhwanazi’s (2007:42) study in KZN also revealed similar findings that the only role the SMTs played was limited to encouraging RSSTs to attend workshops that are organized by the DoE. This indicates that the SMTs did not prepare teachers themselves for the implementation of grades 10-12 NCS. What has aggravated the challenge of the capacity building of the teachers by the SMTs was that there were no SMTs’ PDPs organized by the DoE (Mkhwanazi, 2007:42). In support, a study by Hlongwane (2008:
12) in KZN found that the only training the SMTs received at Ilembe District (KZN) was during the grades 10-12 NCS orientation workshop for teachers. Malesa (2007) found that SMTs did not offer support and guidance to teachers because they themselves were unsure of the new curriculum and they lacked necessary skills to help teachers.
3.7.1.1 Head of department
The DoE (in Hlongwane 2008:4) provides the core duty of the HOD as to provide and coordinate guidance on the latest ideas on approaches to the subject, teaching and assessment techniques and to evaluate teaching and learning aids. Similarly, the DoE-SACE (2008:10) points out that HODs are required to guide their staff members on the latest ideas and approaches to their own teaching and to contribute to all PDPs of their colleagues. However, the problem is that HODs are not developed in these areas (Hlongwane, 2008:12). Motaboli’s (2008:251) study in Free State confirms that 80% of HODs indicated that the only training they had been offered was generic. The emphasis in the training was to explain new curriculum logic, the White Paper regarding constant curriculum changes, and not what the learners need in the class. This is supported by Hlongwane’s (2008) research in KZN that there were no SMTs’ (HODs are members of SMTs) PDPs conducted. The only workshop the SMTs attended was during the grades 10-12 NCS orientation workshop specifically for teachers. In such situations, HODs may lack pedagogical and subject knowledge which can negatively affect teachers’ WIPD.
Makhoba (2003) points out that the HODs have to ensure that teachers plan their schemes of work (learning schedules) at the beginning of each year. This is essential for classroom management. Secondly, HODs have to receive proper guidance for formative and summative assessment practices so that they can in turn train their subordinates. Thirdly, HODs have to ensure that quality of teaching and learning improves by coaching RSSTs to use current methods and procedures in their respective classrooms. The HODs have to ensure that the grades 10-12 NCS is implemented appropriately. This could be achieved through mentoring and guiding RSSTs in their day to day planning, teaching and assessing learners (Nxumalo, 2009:4). However, it becomes more difficult for HODs to conduct teacher development activities effectively in RSSs since there are few learners; consequently the number of teachers is few (Monk, 2007). This in turn, can result in HODs having a full teaching workload which can overload them. This can lead to HODs’ failing to perform their duty of developing RSSTs in their subject departments.
A recent study by Nxumalo (2009:43-44) in Pietermaritzburg (KZN) that investigated HODs’ roles in implementing the NCS at grade 10-12 level found that the HODs’ role is to ensure that teachers cover the LOs and ASs according to the policy document. HODs monitor teachers’ work by checking the lesson plan preparation and unpacking LOs and ASs, facilitating, moderating and utilizing the expertise among teachers, thereby promoting teacher leadership. Another study by Gulston (2010;69) found that HODs conducted subject meetings between once per week and four times per term. These meetings facilitated discussions and issues such as lesson planning, preparation, different ways of assisting teachers with learning difficulties, educational excursions, assessment attendance of workshops and reading of DoE circulars. These studies show that HODs know their duties and responsibilities in terms of teachers’ PD. Such HODs can be effective in KZN rural secondary schools as long as they are provided with sufficient expertise and opportunities to develop RSSTs in their subject departments.
3.7.1.2 School principal
Effective leadership means that principals are engaged in PD and collect evidence that PDPs of RSSTs have taken place (Dymoke & Harrison, 2006:80). Effective leadership involves a commitment to identifying the needs of teachers and provides appropriate PDPs to meet these needs (Lee, 2005:46). The DoE (in Hlongwane 2008:4) provides one of the core-duties of principals as to give guidance, supervise and offer professional advice on the work and performances of all teachers in the school. Furthermore, the DoE-SACE (2008:10) points out that principals are required to take responsibility for the development of staff training programmes such as school-based, school-focused and externally-directed PDPs. Similarly, Gulston (2010:31) argues that principals as the leaders of their teachers should initiate the creation of a positive climate for PDPs. This is to ensure that effective teaching and learning is taking place in their schools.
According to Steyn (2008:26), principals need to play a key role in teacher PD by identifying teachers’ needs, motivating and supporting their development and working towards a collaborated culture with shared values and norms. PDPs in schools are generally successful when principals play a key role in their effective implementation, as well as in sustaining RSSTs’ learning and growth (Steyn, 2008). However, research by Munonde, (2007:33) found that principals have inadequate knowledge about WIPD of teachers. They did not realize that
it was important to set procedures to follow in order to provide PD of a high standard to teachers. The latter can be one of the reasons why PDPs do not succeed in our schools.
The purpose of the principal’s instructional leadership is to bring about effective teaching and learning in schools (Kobola, 2007:33). Mazibuko (2003:18) concurs that the principal as an instructional leader should assist teachers to alter, rearrange and reinterpret the curriculum. However, the study by Malada (2004) found that teachers were not satisfied with the PD support they received from their schools. According to these teachers, principals should be workshopped for sustainability and regular teacher PD support and monitoring in schools and in the classrooms. Kobola (2007:33) recommends that the principal should organize an effective instructional programme and create a positive climate. The principal is expected to provide curriculum guidance for the teachers; inspire and energize them, motivate and mediate educational policies to teachers, mentor and support them and monitor progress (Mason, 2004:21).