Landscapes of Leadership in South African Schools: Mapping the Changes

Autor/in	Christie, Pam
Titel	Landscapes of Leadership in South African Schools: Mapping the Changes
Quelle	In: Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38 (2010) 6, S.694-711 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1741-1432
DOI	10.1177/1741143210379062
Schlagwörter	Stellungnahme; Foreign Countries; Leadership; Principals; Educational Change; Concept Mapping; Instructional Leadership; Theory Practice Relationship; School Based Management; Educational Policy; Governance; Labor Relations; Social Change; Educational Administration; Accountability; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Führung; Führungsposition; Principal; Schulleiter; Bildungsreform; Concept Map; Instruction; Leadership; Bildung; Erziehung; Theorie-Praxis-Beziehung; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Education; Educational policy; Financing; Steuerung; Finanzierung; Arbeitsbeziehung; Sozialer Wandel; Bildungsverwaltung; Schuladministration; Schulverwaltung; Verantwortung; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	This article argues that the work of school principals in South Africa is shaped by two major sets of constructs or "landscapes": the literature on leadership and management which provides particular constructions of the field and its changes; and the terrain of new policy frameworks adopted after apartheid to transform the education system. In terms of the former, the influence of international debates may be seen in South Africa, but these are situated adaptations rather than simple reflections. In terms of the latter, the new policies are underpinned by a tangled network of regulations on governance, labour relations and performance management, which bring complexity to the task of running schools. In addition, the enormous inequalities that continue to exist between schools mean that the work of principals is very different in different contexts. The article argues that a mismatch between the ideal and the actual may impede, rather than assist, attempts to improve schools. In particular, constructions of principals' work in discourses that conflate leadership and management, that over-generalize, and that do not engage seriously with local conditions and the day-to-day experiences of principals, are likely to provide distorted depictions of principals' work. In this context, a better understanding of the landscapes of leadership is a necessary starting point for change. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10