An investigation into leadership in a high school in the Pinetown District of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and Culture, with special reference to characteristics of transformational leadership.

Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.The apartheid Education System in South African schools which was in existence prior to the introduction of democracy was based on a top-down management and leadership. The system of management and leadership was extremely non-consultative and non-participatory. Many challenges in education were brought into existence by the advent of the South African democratic constitution in 1994. The task team on education management development (1996) made some recommendations regarding the management and leadership of the schools. Transformational leadership has been identified by the task team as the best form of leadership through which school effectiveness and improvement can be created. (see Bans & Avolio, 1996) In this study, bench marked against the characteristics of transformational leadership, derived from the literature, an attempt was made to determine the principal's perceptions of his leadership style and to determine the educators perceptions of the same. Thereafter the research attempted to compare the actual against the ideal, based upon the findings and further reference to the literature. The use of questionnaire and interview was made to gather information from the staff and the principal. A discrepancy was identified between the perceptions of the staff and those of the principal with regard to the style of leadership of the principal. Although the principal identified himself as being a friendly, approachable and a transformational leader, the staff perceived him as a more transactional and autocratic leader. interview was to gather from between the perceptions of the staff and those of prinCipal with of the principal. Although principal himself as being a friendly, a transformational leader, the perceived him as a more transactional and to ii Education schools existence based and management challenges South management development 1996) made regarding leadership of the schools. Transformational identified school created. (see 1996) derived literature, determine principal's his and determine perceptions the reference literature. questionnaire and made information the staff and the principal. A discrepancy was identified the principal regard of leadership the identifie