(204) SERVANT LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS OF PRINCIPALS AT AFRIKAANS-MEDIUM PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN KRUGERSDORP: A CRITICAL EVALUATION

摘要

During 1996, the Task Team on Educational Development expressed a need for a different approach to education management in South Africa. The report stated that education management must be supportive rather than directive. Against this background, the aim of the study was to examine the state of affairs at Afrikaans-medium public schools in Krugersdorp in 2016, to determine whether school principals responded to this call to change direction. The perception exists that Krugersdorp and the Afrikaans-speaking people of Krugersdorp are predominantly conservative by nature and in their politics and not open to change and transformation [1]. To this end, the study evaluated the perceptions of teachers regarding the practice of servant leadership characteristics displayed by principals of Afrikaans-medium public schools in Krugersdorp, as current literature suggests that servant leadership is a supportive paradigm from which to operate. Two hundred (200) teachers from eight schools, primary and secondary, were selected as participants in this study. Against the background of a comparative research design, data was collected from the teachers by means of questionnaires of which the reliability had been piloted successfully beforehand. The five constructs relating to servant leadership were scrutinised in particular altruistic calling, emotional healing, organisational stewardship, persuasive mapping and wisdom. This study concluded that the teachers appreciate the day-to-day practice of the characteristics of wisdom, persuasive mapping and organisational stewardship by the principals of Krugersdorp Afrikaans-medium public schools. However, it was also concluded that according to the perceptions of the teachers, the school principals' characteristics of altruistic calling and emotional healing need mentoring and guidance. It is recommended that learning communities could play an inherent part in the improvement of the school principals' performance as servant leaders with regard to all five constructs.