Why leading for transformation in South African township secondary schools fails: Views from deputy principals

Abstract

This article reports selected findings of a qualitative multi case study on transformative leadership in Soweto secondary schools in South Africa. The scope of this article is restricted to an examination of deputy principals' views regarding why leading for transformation is not successful in South African township secondary schools. Data were collected from two secondary schools through in-depth one on one semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was based on Tesch's steps for open coding. Findings point to a myriad of barriers that include: principals' leadership style; bureaucracy, limited district office support and, teacher resistance. The article argues that the bureaucratic structure of schools entrenches the status quo and that the transformation of township secondary schools will remain elusive if the associated barriers are not addressed.