Change Initiatives
Leadership Strategies for Effecting Change in South African Higher Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Naziema Begum Jappie
Higher education institutions are currently undergoing phenomenal changes driven by the stakeholders like the students and workers, evident in the student protest actions of 2015 and 2016. Historically social movements fought for various aspects of social justice, identity, human rights and democracy, which is still evident in South Africa today. Higher education leadership have strived towards playing a role in building democracy and ensuring financial sustainability of universities. Post 1994 universities adopted a corporate culture which required commitment from all staff and students to succeed. Academics and support staff struggle, on occasions, to identify what it is they want to do and even to identify who are the customers. A case study of a comparison between two South African higher education institutions will be used to demonstrate how demands by students and workers have generated leadership to rethink the institutional agenda in a changing environment. This will be qualitative study of senior leadership at two institutions in the Western Cape and will include interviews and document study.
In a Time of Educational Turbulence and Change: Requiring More Than the Humdrum of Effective Leadership
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Molly Patricia Van Niekerk
Educational leader’s by virtue of their position are influential leaders and affect school direction. In a time of educational turbulence and change principals are forced to adapt their leadership practices. Effective principals are usually measured according to a practice perspective and an impact perspective. Principals are therefore required to have the right focus of change and tailor their own leadership practices based on the magnitude of change they are leading. Research on principal effectiveness is needed as changes in principal’s roles and society have raised new and challenging questions about principal effectiveness. The focus of this study is on the requirements for effective leadership in a time of educational turbulence and change. This study implemented qualitative research through in-depth- and focus group interviews and formed the basis for an interpretative perspective. Purposive sampling across four provinces in South Africa allowed principals, educators, school management teams and district officials to reflect on issues regarding effective leadership. The Principal Impact- and McREL’s Balance Leadership Framework formed the structure for this study and guided the researcher in identifying additional variables that an effective leader needs to consider. Recommendations to ensure effective leadership in time of turbulence and never ending change are presented.
