Transformational leadership in Mozambican primary schools

Abstract

In Mozambique the reform of the National Education System takes place through the de-centralisation, privatisation, and reorganisation of teacher training, revitalisation of Zones of Pedagogical Influences (ZIP's), creation of community schools, creation of capacity for intervention and support at the level of District Directorates, and curricular changes to include more relevant areas and teaching methods. The objective of educational reform which includes the decentralisation and curriculum reform is to make local bodies and schools more autonomous and increasingly responsible for formulating and implementing programmes. The decentralisation aims to create an atmosphere which is conducive to a more effective intervention of social partners such as the local government partners, community members, civil society, national and international organisations. Curriculum reform aims to create an environment that is conducive to a more learner centred approach and which improves the quality of education (MEC, 2006). Decentralisation brings many new roles and tasks for school leaders. Mozambican school leaders are being asked to take on unfamiliar tasks including curriculum development and to create a climate supportive of innovation and collaboration in their schools as well as to provide supplementary "on the job" training for their teachers, through classroom observation and subsequent discussion (MinEd, 1998). Schools are expected to become learning organisations, and transformational leadership practices are seen as having the potential to change a school's culture and create the conditions for improvement. It is unknown, however, whether school leaders take on these new responsibilities. The first question in this dissertation addresses this problem. Another important question is why school leaders do (not) take on these new roles. It is assumed, amongst others by the MinEd, that a large variation exists among school leaders' responses to these new roles. An interesting question then is to find out which factors appear to be responsible for this variation in school leaders' behaviour. Another research question deals with the impact of school leaders' behaviour. If school leaders exhibit behaviours aimed at school change and teacher professional development to improve organisational learning, individual teacher learning and teaching practices, is there actually evidence for improved organisational learning, individual teacher learning and teaching practices in Mozambican schools?