Enhancing the principal’s leadership role in the usage of information and communication technology at school
Tshelane, Molaodi David
English: The aim of this thesis was to design a framework to enhance the principal’s leadership role in the use of information communication technology (ICT) at a school in the Motheo District in the Free State. This thesis consists of five chapters, which are structured as follows: Chapter 1 explains the reasons why I decided to undertake this project. The chapter explains the problem statement, including the aim and objectives of the study and the questions that the project sought to answer. Chapter 2 discusses the theoretical framework, laying the ground for the construction of the conceptual framework, which drove the search for answers to the research questions. Chapter 2 also searches for answers to the questions posed in the related literature, which provided a base for the methodology followed throughout the study. Chapter 3 explains this methodology and how the intervention process implemented in this study was generated from the methodology. Chapter 4 presents the empirical analysis and interpretation of the data, and discusses the findings derived from critical discourse analysis. The final chapter is a systematic summary of the findings and conclusions. The study makes recommendations for the way principals can adopt and embrace ICT with the aim of motivating teachers to integrate ICT in professional curriculum practice. In this way, teaching and learning can be improved, which, in turn, will enhance learner performance. In the first part of the study, the results of brief empirical reflections by means of participatory action research show that the inability to activate the principal’s role of creating a suitable learning environment, is caused by inadequate technological pedagogical content knowledge, a failure to plan lessons, and an absence of assessment by means of ICT; these causes have a negative impact on the principal’s leadership role, and lead, inevitably, to inadequate learner performance. The second part identifies the support that is required from the principal for professional staff development in ICT, human relations and ICT use in the school, participation in extracurricular and co-curricular activities for ICT integration, and technological developments in administration – these functions are not supported by the principal’s leadership role in the use of ICT. Numerous findings of this study with regard to the common challenges facing ICT integration are consistent with results of other research studies reported in the literature review. The fascinating and unique aspect of this research project has proven to be the infusion of humanitarian elements in the educational management and leadership field, which has a predominantly positivistic and commercial research flavour and which involves the exercise of leadership according to individualistic approaches. Another unique aspect is the voice of the learner, which has been neglected in other studies: the current study confirmed that the voice of the learner is in fact the curriculum. The study advocates for the consideration of the learner’s voice in educational reform and, thus, recommends that this voice, which has often been viewed as “insignificant”, is heard. In conclusion, the thesis argues that leadership does not reside in an individual, but in collective and collaborative relationships; anyone who is (will be) affected by any decision or action taken in an institution earns engagement and involvement. The thesis hopes to offer the school in the Motheo District a framework for enhancing the principal’s leadership role in the use of ICT. In this way, the study can contribute to school leadership literature in South Africa and offer useful tips for integrating ICT in the curriculum for teaching and learning, with the ultimate aim of improving learner performance.
Afrikaans: Die doel van die proefskrif is om ’n raamwerk te ontwerp ten einde ’n skoolhoof in die Motheo-distrik in die Vrystaat se leierskapsrol in die gebruik van inligtingskommunikasietegnologie (IKT) te bevorder. Hierdie proefskrif bestaan uit vyf hoofstukke wat soos volg gestruktureer is: Hoofstuk 1 verduidelik die redes waarom die projek onderneem is. Die hoofstuk beklemtoon ook die probleemstelling, insluitend die doel en doelwitte van die studie, en die vrae wat die projek poog om te beantwoord. Hoofstuk 2 bespreek die teoretiese raamwerk wat as grondslag dien vir die konstruksie van die konseptuele raamwerk – dit is die dryfkrag agter die soektog na antwoorde op die navorsingsvrae. Hoofstuk 2 soek ook na antwoorde op vrae soos gevind in die verwante literatuur, wat weer die basis vorm vir die metodologie wat in die studie gevolg is. Hoofstuk 3 verduidelik hierdie metodologie en hoe die intervensieproses wat in die studie geïmplementeer is vanuit die metodologie, gegenereer is. In Hoofstuk 4 word die data empiries ontleed en geïnterpreteer en bevindinge wat uit kritiese diskoersanalise afgelei is, word bespreek. Die laaste hoofstuk verskaf ’n sistematiese opsomming van die bevindinge en gevolgtrekkings. Die studie beveel aan hoe ‘n skoolhoof IKT op só ’n wyse kan aanwend dat onderwysers besiel word om IKT in die professionele kurrikulumpraktyk te integreer. Op hierdie manier sal onderrig en leer verbeter, wat op sy beurt leerderprestasie sal bevorder. ’n Kort empiriese refleksie is met behulp van deelnemende aksienavorsing in die eerste gedeelte van die studie gedoen. Resultate hiervan toon dat verskeie faktore ’n negatiewe impak op die skoolhoof se leierskapsrol het, naamlik, onvoldoende tegnologiese pedagogiese inhoudskennis, ’n gebrek aan lesbeplanning en assessering deur middel van IKT, en versuim om die skoolhoof se rol in die skep van ’n geskikte leeromgewing te aktiveer. Dit alles lei na ontoereikende eerderprestasie. Die tweede gedeelte identifiseer die skoolhoof se steun wat vir professionele personeelontwikkeling in IKT, menslike betrekkinge en bydraes tot IKT-gebruik in die skool vereis word. Deelname in buitemuurse en ko-kurrikulêre aktiwiteite vir IKT-integrasie en tegnologiese ontwikkeling in administrasie word nie deur die skoolhoof se leierskaprol in IKT-gebruik gesteun nie. Talle bevindinge in hierdie studie, wat met die algemene uitdagings rakende IKT-integrasie verband hou, stem ooreen met resultate van ander studies wat in die literatuuroorsig gedek is. Die fassinerende en unieke aspek van hierdie navorsingsprojek is dat humanitêre elemente vervleg word in die opvoedkundige bestuurs- en leierskapsveld, wat op sigself ’n oorwegend positivistiese en kommersiële navorsingsingesteldheid het en waar leierskap volgens individualistiese benaderings uitgeoefen word. ’n Ander unieke aspek is die erkenning wat aan die leerder se stem gegee word; iets wat in vorige studies ontbreek. Die huidige studie bevestig dat die leerder se stem in werklikheid die kurrikulum is. Die studie doen voorspraak vir die inagneming van die leerder se stem in opvoedkundige hervorming en beveel dus aan dat ons na hierdie stem, wat in sommige opsigte as “onbeduidend” beskou word, luister. Ter afsluiting voer die proefskrif aan dat leierskap nie in ’n individu gesetel is nie, maar wel in kollektiewe en samewerkende verhoudings, waar almal wat deur enige institusionele besluit of aksie geaffekteer word (sal wees), betrokkenheid in die besluitneming verdien. Die proefskrif hoop om vir die skool in die Motheo-distrik ’n raamwerk te bied om die skoolhoof se leierskapsrol in IKT-gebruik te bevorder. Sodoende kan die studie bydra tot die literatuur oor skoolleierskap in Suid-Afrika en nuttige wenke bied om IKT in die kurrikulum vir onderrig en leer te integreer – met die uiteindelike doel om leerderprestasie te verbeter.