Experiences of teachers as curriculum leaders in South African secondary schools

Abstract

Research indicates that teachers are one of the most important stakeholders in quality of education in a country and are responsible for its improvement. However, how teachers understand and experience their role as curriculum leaders in contributing to education quality is yet to be known. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ understanding and experiences of their role as curriculum leaders in schools. The study assumed a qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm underpinned by Grant’s Model of Teacher Leadership. The sample consisted of 20 teachers and 4 principals from 4 secondary schools within the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The data on how teachers understand and experience their role as curriculum leaders in schools were obtained by means of semi-structured individual interviews, focus-group discussions with teachers at each school, as well as lesson, and curriculum-related meeting observations. The data were thematically analysed, and the results categorised according to themes and sub-themes.

From the findings of this study, it was established that teachers understand their role as curriculum leaders in the light of teacher inclusion in decision-making during the entire curriculum development process. Teachers perceived their role as multi-layered and complex. Teachers experienced their role as curriculum leaders in that they led instructional activities, school-based curriculum development activities, and curriculum activities beyond the school, involving the community. The findings also indicated that teachers experience exclusion when vital curriculum decisions are taken. Teachers experience making decisions as curriculum leaders mostly at the implementation stage of the curriculum. The study contributes to the growing knowledge of information on teacher leadership in schools. It recommends a bottom-up approach to ideas and suggestions on matters of curriculum decisions at any level such decisions are made. The study also proposes a model to guide teacher inclusion in curriculum decision-making. The study was limited to the views and experiences of teachers and principals who participated in the study. A further study employing a quantitative approach, on teachers as curriculum leaders, could be carried out on a larger sample that would allow for generalization of the findings.