Excavating the South African teacher leadership archive
- Authors: Grant, Carolyn
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/281051 , vital:55687 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217717274"
- Description: In established democracies, the notion of ‘singular’ school leadership practised by the principal has been challenged and a more expansive approach to leadership which includes the practice of teacher leadership is now widely accepted by practitioners and researchers alike. In contrast, in emerging democracies the practice of teacher leadership is less obvious, despite the embeddedness of the concept in policy discourse. This article takes South Africa as its case and reviews literature on teacher leadership in this emerging African democracy. It draws on published articles and unpublished postgraduate theses with a specific teacher leadership focus and loosely adopts the format of two previously published comprehensive literature reviews in organising its findings. Similar to the findings of these two literature reviews, this South African archive also shows that the majority of research in this domain is conspicuously descriptive rather than explanatory, largely atheoretical and overly reliant on small case study design. In response, this article argues that teacher leadership research must continue to be undertaken in emerging democracies but with far greater use made of critical methodologies underpinned by relevant social theory.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Grant, Carolyn
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/281051 , vital:55687 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217717274"
- Description: In established democracies, the notion of ‘singular’ school leadership practised by the principal has been challenged and a more expansive approach to leadership which includes the practice of teacher leadership is now widely accepted by practitioners and researchers alike. In contrast, in emerging democracies the practice of teacher leadership is less obvious, despite the embeddedness of the concept in policy discourse. This article takes South Africa as its case and reviews literature on teacher leadership in this emerging African democracy. It draws on published articles and unpublished postgraduate theses with a specific teacher leadership focus and loosely adopts the format of two previously published comprehensive literature reviews in organising its findings. Similar to the findings of these two literature reviews, this South African archive also shows that the majority of research in this domain is conspicuously descriptive rather than explanatory, largely atheoretical and overly reliant on small case study design. In response, this article argues that teacher leadership research must continue to be undertaken in emerging democracies but with far greater use made of critical methodologies underpinned by relevant social theory.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
“It is a thing that depends on God”
- Samandari, Ghazaleh, Grant, Carolyn, Brent, Lily, Gullo, Sara
- Authors: Samandari, Ghazaleh , Grant, Carolyn , Brent, Lily , Gullo, Sara
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/281091 , vital:55691 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0757-y"
- Description: Background: Pregnancy among adolescent girls in Niger contributes to 34% of all deaths among females ages 15–19, but there is a dearth of research as to the specific contextual causes. In Zinder region, an area that is especially impoverished and where girls are at heightened risk, there is very little information on the main obstacles to improving adolescents’ health and well-being. This qualitative study examines the underlying social, individual and structural factors influencing married girls’ early first birth and participation in alternative opportunities (such as education or economic pursuits) in Niger. Methodology: In July of 2017, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with a non-probability sample of community members in three communes of Zinder Region, Niger. Participants (n = 107) included adolescent girls, husbands of adolescent girls, influential adults, community leaders, health providers, and positive deviants. All interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using Dedoose software. Results: Participants recognize the health benefits of delaying first birth, but stigma around infertility and contraceptive use, desire for children, and belief that childbirth is “God’s will” interfere with a girl’s ability to delay. Girls’ social isolation, lack of mobility or autonomy, and inability to envision alternatives to early motherhood compound the issue. Participants favor adolescents’ pursuit of increased economic opportunities or education, but would not support delaying birth to do so. Conclusions: Findings indicate the need for a holistic approach to delaying early birth and stimulating girls’ participation in economic and educational pursuits. Potential interventions include mitigating barriers to reproductive health care; training adolescent girls on viable economic activities; and providing educational opportunities for girls. Effective programs should also include or target immediate members of the girls’ families (husbands, parents, in-laws), influential local leaders and members of the community at large.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Samandari, Ghazaleh , Grant, Carolyn , Brent, Lily , Gullo, Sara
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/281091 , vital:55691 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-019-0757-y"
- Description: Background: Pregnancy among adolescent girls in Niger contributes to 34% of all deaths among females ages 15–19, but there is a dearth of research as to the specific contextual causes. In Zinder region, an area that is especially impoverished and where girls are at heightened risk, there is very little information on the main obstacles to improving adolescents’ health and well-being. This qualitative study examines the underlying social, individual and structural factors influencing married girls’ early first birth and participation in alternative opportunities (such as education or economic pursuits) in Niger. Methodology: In July of 2017, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with a non-probability sample of community members in three communes of Zinder Region, Niger. Participants (n = 107) included adolescent girls, husbands of adolescent girls, influential adults, community leaders, health providers, and positive deviants. All interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using Dedoose software. Results: Participants recognize the health benefits of delaying first birth, but stigma around infertility and contraceptive use, desire for children, and belief that childbirth is “God’s will” interfere with a girl’s ability to delay. Girls’ social isolation, lack of mobility or autonomy, and inability to envision alternatives to early motherhood compound the issue. Participants favor adolescents’ pursuit of increased economic opportunities or education, but would not support delaying birth to do so. Conclusions: Findings indicate the need for a holistic approach to delaying early birth and stimulating girls’ participation in economic and educational pursuits. Potential interventions include mitigating barriers to reproductive health care; training adolescent girls on viable economic activities; and providing educational opportunities for girls. Effective programs should also include or target immediate members of the girls’ families (husbands, parents, in-laws), influential local leaders and members of the community at large.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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