Abstract
We explore the rationale for school managers in South Africa to enrol for a new
practice-based qualification and determine the perceptions of principals on how
the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) course influences their leadership
style. The task of being a principal is demanding, requiring energy, drive, and
many personal qualities and attributes. Principals, involved in the day-to-day
management of their schools, need to take time to reflect on their personal
growth as leaders and managers. The expectations of principals have moved
from demands of management and control to the demands for an educational
leader who can foster staff development, parent involvement, community support,
and learner growth, and succeed with major changes and expectations.
Developing principals and providing them with the necessary knowledge, skills,
values and attitudes becomes increasingly important as the dynamic and
changing educational culture becomes increasingly difficult. Using a qualitative
paradigm, we investigated the perceptions of principals on how the ACE course
influenced their leadership style. The ACE course was conceived as a form of
continuing professional development which has the purpose of equipping principals for the positions they occupy, or enabling teachers to move into an education
leadership and management career path.