Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the preparedness of female school leaders for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South African schools. The study was conducted with male and female learners, as well as female education specialists, principals, deputy principals and heads of department at primary and secondary schools in South Africa. Both private and public schools were selected. A generic qualitative approach was used with individual and focus group interviews to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using a thematic inductive approach. Themes were generated from clusters of information relating to the research objectives and interview questions. The findings include the perceptions of learners about the female leaders in their schools, the skills required for females to effectively lead schools for the 4IR era and the support required for female leaders to become better 4IR-aligned leaders in South African schools. The study revealed that female leaders recognize the need to adjust their leadership skills to the rapidly changing technological environment in schools. In addition, the study establishes that learners need to be equipped with 4IR skills rather than simply using examination-writing and rote learning techniques, which then requires relooking at curriculum elements. The study further revealed that support for development is lacking in public schools, while private schools offer more mentoring and coaching of leaders to become 4IR-aligned.
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)