Abstract
The poor performance of South African learners raises serious concerns about the proficiency of our country’s teachers. Many South African teachers are characterised by a lack of commitment, efficacy and innovation. However, environmental factors including indisciplined learners and bureaucratic leadership compromise teachers’ well-being, hindering their levels of efficiency. Psychological Empowerment (PE) is an approach which can promote teachers’ well-being towards improved organisational performance. PE refers to the experience of intrinsic motivation derived from the cognitions of employees, which are formed from their perceptions of their competencies, sense of control and goal internalisation in the workplace. Principals, as school leaders, can play a critical role in enhancing their teachers’ PE. This study explored the role of the principal in creating a work environment that is conducive to the PE of teachers. An interpretivist paradigm was used as framework for the qualitative research design used in this study. Semi-structured, individual interviews were used as a tool to collect the data. Six principals of highly effective schools, from different geographic areas within the Ekurhuleni District in Gauteng, formed the research sample. Data was analysed by thematic analysis. A process of open coding allowed me to organise and subsequently interpret the data. Three themes with a number of sub-themes emerged from the data. The first theme was principals’ understandings of empowerment. The principals viewed empowerment as skills development, which pertained to managing learner discipline, developing teacher competence and cultivating leadership skills. ..
M.Ed. (Educational Management)