Vision in leading curriculum change at the school level

Generally speaking, creating conducive and desirable school conditions under which change agents can freely perform to the expectation of the institution requires the formulation of a sound vision acting as a directive inspiration for tasks that need to be done that contribute towards the realisation of the school vision (Van Niekerk & Van Niekerk 2009:5). Van Niekerk and Van Niekerk (2009:5) attest that the institutional vision focuses all the activities within the organisation on the realisation of a common ideal. There is an increasing awareness amongst leaders of the importance of having a clear vision of where they are heading.

The institutional vision has more impact on the leader’s task of influencing the organisation than any other aspect of his or her job. Northouse (2012: 109-117) accentuates that an effective leader in managing change creates a compelling institutional vision that will guide peoples’ behaviours in the way they execute their work. A vision is a mental model of an ideal future state, thereby offering a picture of what could be (Northouse 2012: 110). A vision implies change that challenges people to reach more (Northouse 2012: 112). For Northouse (2012: 111), a vision is a guiding philosophy that provides people with meaning and purpose enabling a leader to visualise positive outcomes in future which can be clearly communicated to change agents (Northouse 2012: 110-117). A question could be raised as to what kind of a sound institutional vision the basic school managers in Mongu Township in Zambia could formulate to purposefully facilitate leading curriculum change.

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For Van Niekerk and Van Niekerk (2009:5) the planning, development, communication and accomplishment of a school’s vision is the education leader’s most important task because leadership is really about the future of the school. For these writers, creating a vision for one’s school is like imagining what the school will be like on the basis of the vision. Additionally, building a vision is imagining the end result and implementing it is doing what is necessary to accomplish it. Van Niekerk and Van Niekerk (2009:5) accentuate that the institutional vision provides a structure within which the whole school operates, as it provides an image of the direction and purpose and the fundamental values and convictions of the school as an organisation. It entails that the institutional vision is closely associated with change because vision directs change. However, most schools' visions will be basically the same as they focus on teaching and learning. Some basic school managers will formulate their visions in different ways depending on the context within which the school functions (Van Niekerk & Van Niekerk 2009:5). Institutional vision is functional when it is well planned.

Van Niekerk and Van Niekerk (2009:6) claim that the effective communication of the school's vision to staff, which is planned to bind staff into a cohesive and effective team, is an important function that the leader needs to perform to reach the vision and objectives of the school. The leader must communicate the vision to his or her change agents to inspire and bind them together in following the direction of change. The leader should use every opportunity to inspire his or her staff to realise the institutional vision. The vision must be created, communicated and worked towards in a planned and coordinated way, otherwise change agents are unlikely to achieve the vision (Van Niekerk & Van Niekerk 2009:6).

A vision in leading curriculum change at the basic school level is, therefore, an idea, which expresses personal visualisation, farsightedness, forethought or prediction of a purpose in bringing about curriculum change. Kapur (2007:24) and Van Niekerk and Van Niekerk (2009:5) agree with Reeves (2009:5) who accentuates that sustainable change in leading curriculum change requires a re-orientation of priorities and values and a vision of change that is extremely compelling.

Furthermore, a vision of change is a process that needs to be managed effectively in a school. For this reason, the basic school managers in Mongu Township in Zambia are the focal point persons around which the school’s activities revolve, because they determine the extent to which the school’s success and failure will be achieved when curriculum change is

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implemented. It is the researcher’s belief that school managers must have a clear vision to lead the processes of change themselves. The basic school managers in Mongu Township in Zambia must, therefore, have a clear vision for change, a clear picture of what is in existence, a basic assessment of the impact of change, a meaningful participation of change agents in the vision of the school, an assessment of external or internal forces that surround change and have a model for celebrating the challenges that contribute to change (Reeves 2009:5).

Dynamism in implementing the school vision in leading and managing curriculum change demands dynamic school managers to become effective implementers of change processes. The Ministry of Education (2013: viii-ix) argues that curriculum reviewers must seriously consider the vision and values of the change in question. Curriculum change to be led and managed should result in a holistic, coherent, learner-centred approach with more interactive and independent learning. The vision of the developed curriculum should take account of the nature and characteristics of learners, the type and quality of intakes, the inputs and outputs of education and the organisation and the management of the learning environment (Ministry of Education 2013: viii-ix).

The vision entails that the curriculum must respond to internal and external requirements driven by the government or professional bodies (Ministry of Education 2013:8). A number of questions have to be taken into account for sustaining the vision of curriculum change: Do we have a shared vision for learners and their learning? Does the vision sufficiently represent what we want for our learners and our education system? How do we use our vision to accomplish the national curriculum? Do we have professionally trained and motivated teachers to lead and manage the vision? Do we have enough infrastructure and resources to implement our vision? Does the vision create room for improvement?

The 2030 educational vision of the Ministry of Education (2013:8-9) is extensive. It focuses on maintaining discipline and hard work on the basis of personal and national development. It offers the direction of setting civic, moral and spiritual values within the national and local context, producing analytical, creative, innovative, reliable, versatile, employable, entrepreneurial, productive and constructive learners in schools. It also looks at developing mathematics, scientific and technological thought, and fostering entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, positive attitudes and values for the achievement of a greater life and producing learners with financial, technological and scientific expertise and with competent leadership.

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West-Burnham (1997:118) postulates that the purpose of the vision in leading curriculum change is to help the school move from known to unknown, to set out the hopes and aspirations of the school for children, community and staff, defining and articulating the values of the school that result in real and attainable change. West-Burnham (1997:118) believes that a vision needs to reconcile a wider range of factors in order to provide the basis for empowering management. A clear vision is characterised by clarity of moral purpose, communicating the vision, reference to future challenges, having contact with the school community, openness to ideas, the recognition and celebration of strengths (West-Burnham 1997:118). A vision needs to be focused on moral values and aesthetic dimensions of work, must be challenging, motivating, inspiring, must reinforce success and must be communicated in a way that makes it meaningful to all (West-Burnham 1997:119). There is a direct connection between leadership and visioning in leading curriculum change. Fundamentally speaking, visioning in leading and managing curriculum change will require good leadership because leadership and visioning are inseparable (Miller, Devin & Shoop 2007: 28; Duffy & Chance 2007: 130).

School management calls for a number of visionary skills, some of which are technical and others are related to personal relations that school managers need to know and apply (Nyambe 2012a:3). For Nyambe (2012a:1) most governments decide that change in education is necessary because of the need to improve the education system and to respond to change in society or technology. School management must be assisted to introduce and lead change for the new curriculum as directed by the government in conformity with the vision of 2030. In this regard, Nyambe (2012a:1-2) proffers strongly that the management of curriculum change in a school setting, therefore, requires the following aspects to be executed:

... harmonise interactions with curriculum developers to change the curriculum, sensitisation of change agents (school head and teachers) to adopt change, ensure the procurement of the teaching and learning materials, focus on the evaluation and reviewing of the teaching and learning materials, dissemination of the teaching and learning materials or resources to schools, and the basic training of teachers in the implementation of curriculum change (Nyambe 2012a:1-2).

It is decreed by law in Zambia that all school managers must develop their own school visions that is still closely linked to the ministerial vision of education. Goens (2005:39) mentions the need for loving the job and changing mindsets as an important element in visualising change processes. Goens (2005:39) expresses the same viewpoint as Blandford (1997:175) who argues

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that a vision is a “mental image” of a possible and desirable future of the organisation. It is not a party or a political statement and does not require the favour and charisma of political rhetoric, but must direct the school population towards a common purpose (Leodoux 2005:237).

The basic school managers in Mongu Township in Zambia should learn that a shared vision, according to Senge (1990) as cited by West-Burnham (1997: 120), focuses on commonality of purpose and complementing one another’s efforts. Individuals do not sacrifice their personal interests; but rather the vision becomes an extension of their individual visions.

For Kapur (2007:242), Bowring-Carr and West-Burnham (1997:45-46) developing the school vision for effective school management is an important element in leading and managing the change processes. Discussed below is the significance of the mission in leading curriculum change at the school level.