Skoolhoofde se leierskapspraktyke met betrekking tot die skepping van ruimte by hul skole

Thesis (DEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2017ENGLISH ABSTRACT : This study provides an analysis of how two principals, through their leadership and spatial practices, create productive learning environments. It uses Lefebvre’s (1991) spatial triade, namely “physical space”, “mental space” and “social space” to investigate how the principals integrate these three dimensions of space in order to create healthy learning environments. The focus of this research is how the two selected principals, who are acknowledged as successful spatial producers, use their transformational leadership skills to acquire the commitment and cooperation of their school management teams and school governing bodies, in order to obtain support for their spatial and other projects. They put structures and systems in place that promote good working relationships between the managerial and governing components of their schools, preventing them from working independently (in silos) at their schools. The geographical contexts of the two principals differ from one another. One school is situated and operates in a rural area, while the other is in an urban area. The conceptual question therefore focuses on how the principals produce school space in two different geographical areas, with the aim of influencing users' thinking, their minds, inspiration, motivation, behaviour and creativity. The study looks at the extent to which the geographical and distinctive contexts influence the outcomes of the production of learning environments. This study further aimed to determine the "natural" leadership style of the principals, by measuring it against Leithwood and Jantzi’s (2006) Nine-dimensional Transformational Leadership Model, and by using Lefebvre’s (1991) conceptual and analytical lenses, observing how they go about producing inviting and inspiring learning environments. The data were collected by using semistructured one-on-one interviews, allowing the principals to contextualise how they produced space at their schools, how they experienced it, and how their biographies influenced it. A focus group meeting and observations were used to verify data obtained in this way. Based on Lefebvre's spatial triad, the analysis of the data revealed that the principals produced space instinctively or intuitively, creating what they believed would make a difference in the lives of their learners and educators, resulting in their schools benefiting from it. The main research finding is that each of the two principals follows a transformational leadership style, and instinctively or intuitively produces space that encourages professional interaction between their educators, as well as gaining strong collegial support for their spatial changes and projects. The other important findings, however, about the embodied or social spaces in the schools, are that the two principals have transformed the physical spaces at their schools into new mental spaces, influencing the perceptions, thinking, mind, behaviour and motivation of the users of that space.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Hierdie studie bied 'n analise van hoe twee skoolhoofde, deur middel van hul leierskaps- en ruimtelike praktyke, produktiewe leeromgewings skep. Dit maak van Lefebvre (1991) se ruimtelike triade, naamlik "fisiese ruimte", "voorgestelde ruimte" en "sosiale ruimte" gebruik om te ondersoek hoe die skoolhoofde hierdie drie dimensies van die ruimte integreer om gesonde leeromgewings te skep. Die fokus van hierdie navorsing is op die wyse hoe die twee geselekteerde skoolhoofde, wat as suksesvolle ruimteskeppers bekend staan, hul transformerende leierskapseienskappe aanwend om die inkoop én samewerking van hul skoolbestuurspanne en skoolbeheerliggame te verkry, om sodoende hul ruimtelike en ander projekte te ondersteun. Hulle kry stelsels en sisteme in plek wat goeie werksverhoudinge tussen die bestuurs- en die beheerkomponente van hul skole bevorder, wat voorkom dat hulle onafhanklik van mekaar (in silo’s) by hul skole werk. Die geografiese kontekste van die twee skoolhoofde verskil van mekaar, aangesien die een in die platteland, en die ander een in 'n stedelike gebied werksaam is. Die konseptuele vraag fokus daarom op die wyse hoe die skoolhoofde skoolruimtes in twee verskillende geografiese gebiede produseer met die doel om die denke, gemoed, inspirasie, motivering, gedrag en kreatiwiteit van die gebruikers te beïnvloed. Die studie bekyk tot watter mate die geografiese en eiesoortige kontekste, die uitkomste van die skepping van leeromgewings beïnvloed. Die studie poog verder om die skoolhoofde se “natuurlike” leierskapstyl te bepaal, deur dit aan die hand van Leithwood en Jantzi (2006) se Nege-dimensionele Transformerende Leierskapsmodel te meet, en hul werkswyses om uitnodigende en inspirerende leeromgewings te skep, word deur die gebruikmaking van Lefebvre (1991) se konseptuele en analitiese lense ontleed. Die data is versamel deur gebruik te maak van semi-gestruktureerde een-tot-een onderhoude, waartydens die skoolhoofde die geleentheid gebied is om in hulle eie woorde hul ruimteskepping by hul skole te kontekstualiseer en hoe hulle dit beleef, asook hoe hul lewensgeskiedenisse dit beïnvloed het. Daar is van 'n fokusgroepvergadering en waarnemings gebruik gemaak om data wat op hierdie wyse bekom is, te verifieer. Op grond van Lefebvre se ruimtelike triade, het die analisering van data aan die lig gebring dat die skoolhoofde instinktief of intuïtief ruimte skep, wat hulle glo, 'n verskil in hul leerders en opvoeders se lewens kan maak, en dat hul skole daardeur sal baat. Die hoofnavorsingsbevinding is dat elk van die twee skoolhoofde 'n transformerende leierskapstyl volg, en ruimtes instinktief of intuïtief produseer, wat professionele interaksie tussen hul opvoeders aanmoedig, asook sterk kollegiale ondersteuning vir hul ruimtelike veranderinge en projekte bekom het. Die ander belangrike bevindinge oor die beliggaamde of sosiale ruimtes in die skool is dat die twee skoolhoofde die fisiese ruimtes by hul skole in nuwe voorgestelde ruimtes omskep het om die persepsies, denke, gemoed, gedrag en motivering van die gebruikers van daardie ruimte te beïnvloed