Praktiese onderwys is onderrig aan leerders by skole. Die onderrigleier is die persoon wat die verantwoordelikheid vir die onderwysstudente by die skool aanvaar. Die doel van die navorsing is om vas te stel wat die rol van die onderrigleier in die opleiding van onderwysstudente by die skool is. As ‘n kwalitatiewe benadering is ‘n etnografiese ontwerp gebruik om vas te stel watter leierskaprol die geskikste sou wees vir die begeleiding van onderwysstudente by skole. Dienslewerende leierskap is as konseptuele raamwerk gebruik. In die navorsing van dienslewerende leierskap word die “SERVE”-model gebruik om die toepassing van dienslewerende leierskap te evalueer. Daar is gevind dat onderrigleiers wat dienslewerende leierskap toepas die onderwysstudene die beste dien deur hulle toekomsgerig voor te berei en deur professionele opleiding te bied wat gerig is op moontlike veranderinge en aanpassings in die onderwys. Die onderwysstudente moet voldoen aan die hoë verwagtinge wat gestel word deur die personeel by die skool. Dienslewerende onderrigleiers stel self die voorbeeld deur hulle leefwyse en professionele optrede in en buite die skool. Die onderrigleiers voldoen aan die verwagtinge van die universiteite en die Departement van Basiese Onderwys (DBO) deur dienslewerende leierskap aan te wend tot voordeel van die onderwysstudente. Die rol van die onderrigleiers is dus om die onderwysstudente te dien op alle vlakke van die onderwys. Die onderrigleiers moet in vennootskap tree met die universiteite en die universiteite adviseer oor tekortkominge en veranderinge in die voorgeskrewe kurrikulum wat die opleiding van onderwysstudente kan verbeter. Die onderrigleiers moet die verantwoordelikheid wat deur die DBO aan hulle opgedra is, nakom deur mentoronderwysers op te lei en te bemagtig sodat hulle saam met die onderrigleiers die onderwysstudente beter tot diens kan wees.
ENGLISH : Practical teacher training is the short-term “in-service training” (exposure to the teaching profession’s day-to-day tasks and responsibilities) of education students at schools. Practical teacher training is the responsibility of a specifically appointed instructional leader at a school. The purpose of the research is to determine what the role of the instructional leader should be in the practical training of education students at schools. As a qualitative approach an ethnographic design was used to determine what kind of leadership model would be most suitable for the instructional leader to utilise in the guidance of education students at the school during in-service training. Four case studies were used to assess the utilisation of the “SERVE” model (Blanchard en Miller, 1994) in the application of servant leadership by the instructional leaders during the practical teaching process at school. It was found that instructional leaders who use the “SERVE” model for the application of servant leadership serve their educational students best by preparing them for the future with a shared vision and through professional training and teaching them to be flexible so as to adapt to any changes and alterations in education. The education students will be able to satisfy the high expectations that are set by the staff at the school. Servant-instructional leaders set the example through their own way of life and their professional conduct in and outside the school. The instructional leaders are able to satisfy the expectations of the universities and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) through the application of servant leadership to the benefit of the education students. Therefore the role of the instructional leader at the school is to serve the education students on all levels of teaching. The instructional leaders must enter into a partnership with the universities to advise them about shortcomings and changes that can improve the practical teaching of education students. The instructional leaders must take up the responsibilities that the Department of Basic Education bestows on them by appointing mentor teachers who have been trained and empowered to assist the instructional leaders to best serve the education students.