This study investigates how female departmental heads in South African public primary schools built resilience and exercised leadership in the post-COVID-19 era, defined in this study as the period following the lifting of COVID-19 emergency restrictions, during which schools transitioned from crisis response to educational recovery while continuing to address the enduring organisational, social, and educational effects of the pandemic. This period was characterised by organisational instability, emotional strain, and increasing professional demands. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling globally and exposed and, in many educational contexts, exacerbated pre-existing gender inequalities related to leadership opportunities, caregiving responsibilities, workload distribution, and access to institutional support, thereby placing disproportionate pressure on many women occupying school leadership roles. In this context, female departmental heads were central to crisis management, ensuring curriculum continuity, supporting teachers’ emotional well-being, and maintaining departmental functioning despite limited resources. These conditions highlighted the need to understand how these leaders navigated the post-pandemic landscape and which factors strengthened their resilience. The aim of the study was to explore how female departmental heads developed resilience and led their departments after the COVID-19 era. Framed within a constructivist paradigm, the study employed a qualitative research approach and a generic qualitative design. Ten female departmental heads from rural and urban public primary schools in Limpopo Province were purposively sampled. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data, which were analysed through qualitative content analysis to identify themes reflecting participants’ experiences, leadership practices, and adaptive strategies in response to post-pandemic challenges. Findings reveal that female departmental heads led effectively through adaptability, emotional intelligence, collaborative practices, and strong relational competencies. Attributes such as empathy, compassion, and practical problem-solving supported them in sustaining teacher morale and departmental stability. However, they continued to face persistent gender stereotypes, intensified workloads, inadequate organisational support, and resource constraints. Despite these challenges, their resilience was reinforced by personal coping mechanisms, peer support networks, and reflective leadership practices. The study further highlights the organisational and systemic conditions necessary to strengthen leadership development, including mentorship, targeted professional development, supportive school cultures, and equitable policy implementation. It concludes that female departmental heads play a...
- Resilience and leadership development for female departmental heads in the post-COVID-19 era
- Dikeledi Precious Maswangayi
- Zvisinei Moyo - University of Johannesburg
- University of Johannesburg; Master of Arts (MA)
- Master of Arts (MA), University of Johannesburg
- 9965005007691
- University of Johannesburg
- University of Johannesburg; Department of Educational Leadership & Management; Faculty of Education
- English
- Thesis