Exploring servant leadership and novice teacher’s job satisfaction: a case study of two schools in Gauteng North District
Date
2020
Authors
Ngobeni, Mahalia
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore servant leadership and novice teacher’s job satisfaction. Further to this was to look at the importance of putting novice teachers first in order to ensure that they are welcomed within the working environments and that they are mentored and supported to reach their full potential. It is assumed that servant leadership can increase teacher retention, enhance professional competence and improve job satisfaction. The challenge emanates from the fact that schools expect novice teachers to perform as competent professionals based on the knowledge they assume these teachers have acquired from their training, especially from universities. Therefore, based on the assumptions made, these novice teachers are not supported by schools. Semi-structured interviews were the main instrument of data collection, data was collected from 6 participants, which comprised of two principals, two HoDs and two novice teachers from two primary schools in Soshanguve. Findings showed that principals and heads of department do not formally induct novice teachers to the Batho Pele principles. Because there is limited time to go through every education policy with the novice teachers upon their arrival in schools. The participants think these teachers should take the initiative and acquaint themselves with educational policies, they need to do some research and gain more knowledge based on policies. School leaders are burdened with their own duties which left them with no time to assist novices in schools. The study also found that novice teachers were not formally assigned a mentor upon their arrival in schools, but heads of department do play their role of mentoring them. However, their mentoring is not continuous, and it was generic in nature. Generally, schools do not have enough time to mentor novice teachers. In addition, some admitted to not having enough knowledge on mentorship practices that could be applied to ensure that teachers have job satisfaction
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education in the discipline Educational Leadership, Management and Policy, School of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, 2020