Step Children of the Science Department? The Neglect of the Grade 8 and 9 Natural Sciences Teachers in South African Secondary Schools

Autor/inn/en	Malinga, Cynthia B.; Jita, Loyiso C.
Titel	Step Children of the Science Department? The Neglect of the Grade 8 and 9 Natural Sciences Teachers in South African Secondary Schools
Quelle	In: Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48 (2020) 2, S.231-247 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1741-1432
DOI	10.1177/1741143218788576
Schlagwörter	Secondary School Teachers; Grade 8; Grade 9; Foreign Countries; Natural Sciences; Science Teachers; Department Heads; Instructional Leadership; Teacher Administrator Relationship; Teacher Attitudes; Public Schools; Role Conflict; South Africa (Johannesburg) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? School year 08; 8. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 08; School year 09; 9. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 09; Ausland; Naturwissenschaften; Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Instruction; Leadership; Bildung; Erziehung; Führung; Lehrerverhalten; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; Rollenkonflikt
Abstract	To date, little research has been conducted on subject leadership by primary and/or junior secondary school heads of department (HODs). Unlike their senior secondary school counterparts, South African science HODs have the more complex task of leading in the multidisciplinary context of natural sciences (NS1). Such leadership comes in addition to the complications of role ambiguity, limited time and authority that are inherent in the HOD position. Using interviews and 360° multi-rater by four teachers and subject meeting observations, data were transcribed and categorised into themes that describe the instructional leadership practices of three NS HODs in South Africa. This paper is part of a more comprehensive PhD study. It suggests that providing leadership for NS teaching is more complex in practice than has been reported to date. In the context of increasing focus on accountability and national testing, the unintended consequence has been the neglect of the junior secondary NS teachers by the HODs. Furthermore, the data suggest that the HODs tend to limit their attention to areas of their own specialisation. The paper concludes with a conceptual framework that provides guidance for improving instructional leadership by the HODs in such multidisciplinary contexts, especially for the junior secondary school levels. It also recommends the restructuring of the conglomerate departments to make them more effective. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01