The need to identify and address South African school leaders' challenges in developing an inclusive education culture frames the purpose of this study. A qualitative methodology using a multiple case study design in three secondary schools was employed. Data collection ensued through focus group interviews with school management teams (SMTs) and teachers. The findings highlight areas that both challenge and overwhelm SMTs. These areas include the inadequate implementation of the screening, identification, assessment and support (SIAS) policy, the need for parent support for inclusivity, and inclusive pedagogy limitations. Furthermore, there is a need for human and financial resources to support inclusive education. The study proposes a framework that clarifies the role of the SMT in facilitating inclusivity. The framework posits the need for visionary, strategic, and social justice leadership, focuses on ways to transform the school culture, and offers practical guidance for translating the SIAS policy into practice.
The increasing expectations of the principalship and the intensification of the challenges facing schools today have resulted in the emergence of distributive forms of leadership in schools worldwide. These developments prompted research in schools in South Africa, more specifically in the Soweto region, to inquire if distributed leadership had manifested. Soweto is a township in the Gauteng province of South Africa that is associated with the historic struggle against the apartheid government (pre-1994). A qualitative approach executed by means of focus group interviews was employed at three schools to explore the views of teachers who did not hold formal leadership positions. It was found that distributive leadership had not transpired in the schools that are largely rooted in classical leadership practices. This chapter provides an account of the study while elucidating the concept of distributive leadership and examines the role of formal leaders within a distributive leadership framework.
The effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria has continued to generate discussion and is a matter of urgent attention in achieving the mission and vision of the higher education system. This study was carried out to investigate the issues obstructing the effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria. The conceptual framework was adapted from the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence model (EFQM). This study adopted a generic qualitative design to collect data through semi-structured interviews from eight participants, including the deputy vice-chancellor, deans, head of departments, and lecturers that were purposively selected. Data collected were analysed using thematic analysis with Nvivo (version 10). The findings of the study revealed that leadership, academic and administrative issues, contextual issues and funding are the major factors affecting the effectiveness of public universities in Nigeria. Therefore, for a university in Nigeria to be viewed as a hub of developing nations that strive to meet the expectation of the society, the identified hindrances must be thoroughly interrogated and resolved.
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