Managing teaching and learning: integrating instructional and transformational leadership in South African schools context

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the integration of instructional and transformational leadership models of leadership in sustaining quality teaching and learning in schools. The study sought to establish how principals integrate instructional and transformational leadership in enhancing learner performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data. The principal sources of data were six face-to-face semi-structured interview questions with school principals from selected schools in rural South Africa. Qualitative evidence was collected from six principals selected through purposive sampling. The selection of participants was based on the criteria that there was evidence of employing instructional and transformational leadership.FindingsFindings from the study provided evidence that instructional and transformational leadership approaches were used to change under performing schools. There was evidence of individualised consideration and principals supporting teachers through providing rewards and motivation. It was established that principals build a school culture that promotes successful academic improvement. The study showed that the integration of instructional and transformational models of leadership leads to a climate that promotes a culture of teaching and learning.Research limitations/implicationsThe study covered six schools in South Africa. Findings from the study have implications that principals are cornerstones to achieving quality teaching and learning in schools.Practical implicationsThe study was conducted in schools that were seen to adopt instructional and transformational leadership. This study is among the most important studies that were conducted in South Africa on the role of leadership in enhancing a culture of teaching and learning.Social implicationsThe study has critical implications for policy making and influences on school leadership in general and the adoption of strategies, policies and models that can improve teaching and learning. The study highlights the importance of integrating leadership models.Originality/valueThis is an original study conducted in South Africa and data was conducted through face-to-face interviews to seek for opinions from participants in their original settings.

Integrating a Community Library into the Teaching and Learning Programme of Local Schools

According to estimates by Statistics South Africa, only 33% of learners in the Limpopo Province (one of the nine Provinces in South Africa) have access to a functional school library or media centre. This has been regarded as one of the main factors which have contributed to the Province consistently producing one of the lowest pass rates in comparison to its counterparts. While there was enthusiasm amongst some teachers that the establishment of Seshego Community Library would bring some relief to educators starved of a functional library service in their schools, some teachers and learners were not as enthusiastic and receptive to the Community Library. This paper explores some of the barriers inherent in introducing a library to a community which was not previously exposed to, and accustomed to making use of its services, and making it an integral part of the teaching and learning programme. Issues of resistance to the community library’s outreach programme, largely emanating from lack of motivation and a low morale amongst some teachers and principals alike, as well as an erosion in the culture of teaching and learning, are explored. There is a need to break down the existing barriers to encourage teachers and learners to make use of the Community Library’s services and facilities to add value to their teaching and learning endeavours.

Digital Teacher for the 21st-century School 4.0

The article deals with some pedagogical aspects of the digitalization of education. As it is shown in the article, the problem of digital education has been systematically analyzed and discussed for the last two decades by various analysts, researchers, and experts. Most of them consider the transition of education into its digital stage as the greatest turning point in the history of civilization and its culture. At present, teachers are facing quite new educational and pedagogical functions. The idea of a digital teacher as the leader of digital educational activity is in the focus of the analysis presented in the article. Educational platforms, online courses, digital textbooks, etc. influence on the transformation of the educational environment. Education is becoming more personalized. The content of teaching and learning is being changed radically according to its new values, meanings, orientations, as well as educational and pedagogical discourses. It is stressed in the article that teacher’s digital skills and competencies should be identified as the key professional pedagogical skills and competencies for his or her life-long learning, professional development and professional growth due to the challenges of the 21st-century knowledge, information and innovations society and education. To fulfill a system of professional-pedagogical and educational functions more effectively and to guarantee the optimal implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), it is quite necessary for teachers to have adequate skills and competencies that characterize his or her digital professional culture of teaching.

“Russian as we speak it” (about Serafima A. Khavronina and the book of her life)

The article analyzes one of the most famous textbooks by S.A. Khavronina for studying Russian as a foreign language Russian as we speak it. The book has become a hallmark of the Russian methodology and culture of teaching a non-native language abroad. The author examines the structure of the book, emphasizes the innovative findings of S.A. Khavronina, speaks about the features of presenting and explaining the material. Special attention is paid to the communicative orientation of the textbook, which for the first time offered a clear, simple and at the same time methodologically based strategy for teaching Russian as a foreign language. According to the author of the article, the book by S.A. Khavronina is an example of a balanced approach to the analysis of how the live speech influences on foreigners. It solves the key tasks of modern methodology of Russian as a foreign language: grammar-translated, personal-practical and audio-linguistic. The article draws readers attention to the problem of creating a modern textbook on Russian and intercultural communication, taking into account the best achievements in the history of these disciplines, using traditional approaches proven over the years and the latest methods of studying language as a cultural phenomenon.

Notes on Post-Critique

This essay argues that a useful grammar for doing post-critique has emerged from a trans-, inter- disciplinary dialogue on post-critique. I further make three propositions in the essay. First, I suggest that postcritique is an additive critical practice where resources for cultivating thinking, reasoning and evaluating draws on a constellation of approaches that combines this and that and reinvigorates critique in new directions. Second, postcritique repairs a ‘negative’ enterprise of critique that has become a culture of teaching in academia and schools. Third, more affirmative pedagogies of postcritique could be more welcoming and considered to be more constructive in authoritarian context.

Peningkatan Kompetensi Pedagogik Guru SMK Melalui Pelatihan Pembuatan E-Learning

<em>The covid-19 pandemic has changed the culture of teaching and learning activities in the schools. Learning activities are conducted online with the use of e-learning. Generally, Vocational High Schools (SMK) already have supporting facilities for the implementation of e-learning such as computer laboratories and adequate internet networks. However, most of the teachers in the schools are still not ready for the massive use of e-learning. For this reason, schools need training for teachers to optimize the use and integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in learning activities. The purpose of this community service is to provide training to teachers of SMK Muhammadiyah Delanggu to make e-learning and implement it in the learning process. This activity involved all teachers of SMK Muhammadiyah Delanggu. The stages of this training are: a) introduction to the concept of online learning (e-learning), b) workshop of creating e-learning, and c) application of e-learning into the subjects taught by each teacher. The results of this training: a) the teachers have been able to make learning packages, materials, and activities in the e-learning, b) Pedagogical competences of teachers have increased showed by a readiness to integrate ICT in the learning process, and c) The readiness of the school to optimize the application of e-learning to improve the learning process.</em>

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS IN CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE'S INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the main directions of professional development of university teachers and to ensure the excellence of teaching. The achievement of the research goal made it possible to use general theoretical methods: analysis, synthesis, specification, generalization and empirical methods: surveys and questionnaires. Results of the research. The main directions of the professional development of university teachers and ensuring the excellence of teaching are outlined: mentoring and tutoring of young teachers; creation of centers of excellence, support and development of teaching skills; development of e-learning in the centers of educational and innovative technologies etc. The experience of the Center professional development of teachers of the Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University is analyzed. On the basis of the conducted questionnaire of the heads of departments the peculiarities of creating a culture of support and stimulation of quality teaching, creation of an environment of professional development, promotion and recognition of best practices, etc. were established. The importance of introducing the concept of service learning pedagogy at educational programs of all levels in higher education institutions of Ukraine is emphasized; the formation of the values social responsibility of universities; policies to enhance the culture of teaching, learning and assessment.