Page 103 - ALR2019 Handbook

African Research on School Leadership in the Global Context

Raj Mestry

Although an analyses of literature in educational leadership and management found
that the vast published sources of knowledge come from a limited set of
English-speaking, largely Western, Anglo-American societies (Hallinger, 2017), many
scholars in developing countries such Africa have published books and articles on
school leadership. Some scholars emphasise the impact colonisation had on the
education system of several African countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi, and also
the apartheid policy of South Africa. Research findings revealed that African schools
throughout the continent are fraught with financial, social and political problems, and
ineffective leadership in public schooling. Furthermore, providing students, especially
in rural settings, with quality education was an insurmountable challenge for education
authorities. Reasons cited for this poor state of affairs include limited school resources
and poor learner performance; and the nature and extent of decentralisation in any
education system and its influence on important matters such as governance,
leadership, autonomy, accountability, quality, management processes and assessment
practices. Using a literature review of research conducted in the African continent, the
themes Instructional leadership preparedness of school leaders and Styles of
Leadership will be accentuated. The key directions proposed include the importance of
continuing professional development of school leaders and encouraging professional
learning communities such as the Africa Roundtable which was launched in 2016.

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