Abstract
The unprecedented advent of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered a fast pace towards the adoption of the fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to ensure school continuity. Therefore, educational leaders require technological knowledge as a prerequisite to holding a leadership position and overtaking all spheres of education in this digital era. This study investigates the learning agility of schools’ principals in transforming school culture for a fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) during the pandemic. Following a mixed-method design approach, this research uses primary data collected through survey questionnaires sent to respondents and face-to-face interviews with principals of the 10 primary schools selected in the Limpopo province. Quantitative analysis includes descriptive statistics, frequency, correlation, and regression analyses and qualitative analyses comprise thematic, pattern and sentiment analyses. Quantitative results highlighted a strong and positive relationship between transformed school culture and, learning experiences, patterns of learning agility, trajectories of learning, and learning agility frameworks with a coefficient of 89.3%, 94.7%, 92.4%, and 93.8% respectively. Also, 91.7% of the behaviour of the transformed school culture is determined by learning experiences, patterns of learning agility, trajectories of learning, and learning agility frameworks. Although the learning experiences appear to not be significant toward the transformed school culture, the analysis of the variance indicates that effective achievement of the transformed school culture requires the combination of all variables including learning experiences. Qualitative findings revealed that learning experiences are built based on the alignment between self-improvement and self-awareness of own strengths and limitations. Patterns of learning agility comprise effective collaboration, commitment to personal growth and improvement, and adaptation to challenges and new experiences. The trajectories of learning involve learning capabilities and knowledge and skills upgrading where principals ensure that teachers have laptops and all gadgets to facilitate online learning and teaching on one side and to keep work communication ongoing using digital communication platforms. Learning agility frameworks are associated with flexibility for efficiency improvement and open-mindedness and receptiveness to change in alignment with the existing regulations and policies. 37% and 29% of the participants have a positive and negative sentiment regarding the management of the school during the COVID-19 pandemic using the 4IR tools due to many bottlenecks. School principals and the Department of Education should invest and be proactive regarding technological transformation in schools.
Keywords: Learning agility, COVID-19, Leadership, School Culture, Education and 4IR.