Abstract
This study explored educator views and experiences of school leaders’ consideration of teacher voice in primary public schools in one South African province. The study explored the following key questions:
1. How do teachers describe teacher voice in Gauteng primary schools?
2. What are teachers’ views of leadership and management of teacher voice in primary schools?
3. What are teachers' experiences of leadership and management of teacher voice in primary schools?
The literature reveals that employing a distributed school leadership approach, promoting teacher leadership and engaging teachers in shared decision-making contribute to enhanced teacher voice. Evidently, school leaders should display the appropriate leadership to ensure teacher voice in schools.
This study was grounded in an interpretivist paradigm. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used. Data was obtained from interviews from six post-level one teachers in three public primary schools in one South African province. The data were analysed using thematic data analysis. This was achieved through a five-step process which included organising, sorting, understanding, interpreting and explaining the findings using literature.
Key findings are that teacher voice in schools is limited or curtailed; teacher voice is not heard, and teacher inputs are not invited or considered by school leaders for decision-making. It is recommended that school leaders rethink their leadership practices and create a collaborative school culture. It is recommended that school leaders create an enabling environment where the ideas, views and opinions of educators are respected and appreciated. This can be done through developing processes and structures that will provide a platform for the elevation and promotion of teacher voice.
Keywords: Teacher voice, Distributed leadership, School leaders, Teacher leadership, Decision-making