School leadership in high-performing schools in Gauteng: Voices of SMT members

Abstract: The article presents the findings of a qualitative study on the characteristics of school leadership and management in two high-performing schools (HPSs) in Gauteng. The schools selected for the study had achieved over 90% overall pass rates from 2019 to 2021. Data were collected through document reviews from the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), and semi-structured interviews were conducted with school management team (SMT) members. Data were thematically analysed, and the study’s findings indicated that high performance in schools is driven by several factors, including school managers’ role in shaping the direction and managing the school as an organisation; managing teaching and learning and assuring accountability; and working with and for the community. While these elements contribute to schools’ quality, the article suggests that effective school leadership is contingent on the school’s context, and various leadership styles can be employed to enhance schools’ performance.

摘要：本文呈现了对两所高绩效学校（HPSs）在豪登省的校领导与管理特性的定性研究结果。所选取的研究对象在2019年至2021年期间的整体通过率超过90%。数据收集主要通过教育劳动关系委员会（ELRC）的文件审查进行，并对学校管理层（SMT）成员进行了半结构化访谈。数据经过主题分析，研究发现，学校的高绩效由多个因素驱动，包括学校管理者在塑造学校发展方向和管理学校作为组织方面的作用；管理和确保教学与学习的责任；以及与社区合作。尽管这些因素有助于提升学校质量，但文章指出，有效的学校领导依赖于学校的具体环境，并可采取多种领导风格以提升学校的绩效。