The challenges faced by heads of departments in selected Lesotho high schools
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Date
2020-01
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Publisher
Routledge
Abstract
The role of the Heads of Departments (HoDs) in the school
structure is to provide middle leadership. They assist the
principals on the day to day leadership of the schools. They
are responsible for ensuring the achievement of their
departmental and school vision and mission. This study
sought to explore the nature of the challenges faced by
the HoDs in the Lesotho context. The study was framed
within the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative
approach. The participants consisted of sixteen HoDs and
eight school principals. These participants were purposively
selected and then interviewed through the focus groups
and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that
the HoDs face several challenges that hinder their
performance. For example, they lack the requisite skills to
perform their duties. They also encounter considerable
resistance from their peers. In the light of the findings, we
argue that it is crucial for the HoDs to be afforded the
empowerment and support that they need so that they
can do their job efficiently. This support may benefit their
schools as well as the entire education sector.
Description
Keywords
Head of department; teacher leadership; middle leadership; instructional leadership; management; management tasks