Abstract
M.Ed.
The post-apartheid education system produces challenges for school leaders, notably in the management of diverse human resources. One such challenge is faced by leadership in independent schools that employ immigrant teachers and aim to achieve just societies. The aim of this study was to explore Zimbabwean immigrant teachers’ experiences of social justice in Johannesburg’s inner-city independent schools and investigate the principles of social justice through the lens of critical transformative leadership. From my perspective as an immigrant teacher, l suggest that transformative leaders may foster social justice in diverse independent schools. They can develop a strong foundation of equality and equity – where everyone receives fair treatment, have equal access to opportunities regardless of their nationality. The following question guided the research: In what ways does a transformative leadership approach contribute to the experiences of social justice of Zimbabwean immigrant teachers in Johannesburg inner-city independent schools? The primary data-gathering instruments were semi-structured interviews. Participants comprised six Zimbabwean immigrant teachers and two South African principals whose transformative leadership is self-driven. Critical discourse analysis and content analysis were used to analyse data.
It is evident in this study that the principals enact their transformative leadership practices to professionally develop their teachers and build a school climate that fosters social justice. They are proactively engaged in expanding parameters by aiming to break power hierarchies, guide school communities, transform the existing culture, align curricula to communal needs, use pedagogical practices and create an atmosphere that does away with marginalisation. They encompass moral, ethical, professional and cultural awareness through their accountability in their leadership practices. However, there are barriers that they encounter in their efforts to enact social justice. Historical apartheid practices have also left behind immigration policies and negative stereotypes that are not easy to break.