The Role of the School Management Team in the Management and Monitoring of the Curriculum in King Cetshwayo Secondary Schools

Abstract

Monitoring teaching and learning is a significant leadership aspect of locating weaknesses to improve instruction and learner performance. The closer school leaders are to teaching and learning activities, the better the chances of success for learners. It is important to note that leadership in curriculum management is not confined to the principal, however. It is also delegated to the school management team (SMT) (deputy principals, heads of departments [HOD s]) and teachers tasked with the school’s academic programme. This study sought to examine the nature of curriculum management in secondary schools. A qualitative research design was adopted for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to draw a sample of ten SMT members (four HOD s, three principals and three deputy principals) from ten high schools. The main research instrument for data collection was a focus group discussion used to collect qualitative data. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the qualitative data from a transcribed focus group discussion. The findings reveal that SMT s and district officials play a key role in monitoring the curriculum in schools. The findings reveal that the involvement of the school governing body (SGB) and individual parents is restricted in their children’s schoolwork because of realities such as work commitments, language barriers and socio-economic background. Classroom visits are not done regularly to check curriculum coverage in relation to the heavy teaching and administrative workloads that HOD s carry. The findings also reveal that the district officials are not competent in specific subjects and that some do not visit schools due to heavy workloads or the location of schools in remote areas where the terrain is challenging to navigate.