Purpose: This research aimed to assess the leadership role of principals in the implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed qualitative research approach to assess the leadership role of principals in the implementation of peace education in…

In this paper, we report on the findings of a study that sought to understand the nature of circuit managers' leadership in supporting teaching and learning in the context of multiple deprivations in South Africa. The paper aimed first at examining the nature of circuit managers' leadership for learning in deprived school contexts, and second to…

In this article we explore the perspectives of school leadership and management on the principal's role in learners' academic performance. School leadership and learner performance continue to be of great concern in the South African education system. We explore the relationship between school leadership and learner performance from a school…

It is assumed that individuals' cognitions of who they are in a particular social structure influence their behaviour in that space. Likewise, school principals' cognition of who they are in schools as social structures influences how they behave as leaders. In this article, we use the role identity theory as a framework to analyse novice…

This article examines the experiences and coping strategies of four university middle-managers during the unprecedented time of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We use the research approach of autoethnography to reflect on our experiences and decision-making processes. To reflect on how we managed the rapid change and moved from…

South Africa presents a distinctive and varied context in which to explore the experience of women principals. The article draws on a larger data set to explore the interplay of gender and school size in seven schools with 200 students or fewer. From this study, we conclude that gender remains a potent influence on the career and experience of…

This article explores governors' perceptions of the role played by school principals in the democratic governance of secondary schools in South Africa. The South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996 has mandated that all public schools in South Africa must have democratically elected school governing bodies, comprised of the principal (in his or her…

The paper explores the emerging, and different, approaches to leadership in higher education, especially how these approaches have shaped organisational change strategies at South African higher education institutions. These issues are examined within the context of the changes that followed the promulgation of the new higher education policy…