Management and leadership functions of heads of departments in technical high schools

Abstract

The research study departs from the, angle that heads of department occupy an important position at the interface of management and delivery of education. Their functions range from teaching to managing the school's departments in a diligent way. It was assumed that failure for heads of department to be part of the leadership in the school and at the same time manage their department and engage in teaching duties would result in a school becoming dysfunctional. A literature study was conducted to explore the leadership and management functions of the heads of department and to investigate the specific challenges facing heads of department in technical high schools. The empirical research consisted of a questionnaire survey to determine the views of the heads of department on their management and leadership functions and the challenges they experience in executing their tasks. It involved 75 heads of department in 13 Technical High School in the North West Province. The major findings of the research study reveal that heads of department experience challenges with a heavy workload, find it difficult to strike a balance between teaching duties and management duties and also face challenges in executing their functions even if a job description exists. It was also revealed that respondents strongly agree with the African cultural perspective concerning the ideal leadership characteristics of heads of department. Generally the study indicated that heads of department require training aimed at meeting the specific needs of middle managers.