Understanding instructional leadership roles of campus managers in improving student achievement at TVET Colleges in Limpopo : stakeholders perspectives

Abstract

The study focused on the role of TVET college campus managers as instructional leaders in the Limpopo province. That role, in the effective and efficient monitoring and support of lecturers' curriculum implementation in the lecture room, as evidenced by students' performance and the effective functioning of educational institutions, is critical to the nature and effectiveness of an education system. The benchmarked literature study focused on the instructional leadership roles of campus managers. The campus managers' thoughts on their instructional leadership roles and how they increase effective teaching and learning to improve student performance were elicited using a qualitative study approach that included interviews and document analysis. According to the study, campus managers get more active as instructional leaders in ensuring that curriculum implementation in the lecture room is monitored and supported to achieve effective teaching and learning. The findings of the investigation revealed that this is not taking place as it should. According to a summary of the research findings, campus managers face a few challenges, including insufficient teaching and learning resources, student strikes, late appointment of new lecturers by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through the central offices of these TVET colleges, and a lack of monitoring and support for curriculum implementation. By monitoring and supporting lecturers in curriculum delivery and implementation in the lecture room, the literature review and findings from the empirical study are expected to contribute to and strengthen campus managers' instructional leadership roles in creating conditions for effective teaching and learning. The study concluded that campus managers should visit classes on a frequent basis that campus managers should have a good understanding of the curriculum in order to assist lecturers with implementation, and that teaching and learning resources should be delivered on time, that regular meetings with the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), lecturers, Education Specialists and Senior Education Specialists should be held in order to communicate and address the identified problem areas affecting each stakeholder in order to minimise the escalation of such problems. The researcher suggests that more research be done in other settings after looking at how campus managers in Limpopo TVET colleges carry out their instructional leadership roles. It would also be fascinating to see how campus managers in other provinces handle these positions in order to find any strengths that the Limpopo TVET college campus managers might benefit from.