Exploring perceptions of secondary schools’ management teams on the effectiveness of quality management system: a case study

Abstract

The importance of evaluating the performance of school-based academics has become a pressing issue, with stakeholders seeking to ensure that learners, educators and schools are meeting expected standards of the Quality Management System (QMS). School Management Teams (SMTs) vest the power to prioritise the effective implementation of the Quality Management System. However, implementing QMS has posed several challenges, particularly for secondary school managers. Therefore, the study explored secondary SMTs' perceptions of the effectiveness of the QMS in the uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The study was informed by the Transformational Leadership (TL) theory, which emphasises visionary leadership. Out of 168 secondary schools, sixteen participants, comprising principals, deputy principals, and departmental heads, were purposively selected using a non-probability sampling technique. Guided by the qualitative approach, and a multiple-case study design, a semi-structured telephone interview was conducted to gather data. It was supplemented by the secondary data sources. Braun and Clarke’s six steps of thematic data analysis were used to arrange themes and sub-themes. The study's findings reveal that the SMTs understood what a QMS entails. Moreover, they agreed that a QMS was needed in schools for several reasons. Despite the preceding narrative, there were discrepancies in the effectiveness of QMS. This indicates that the effectiveness of QMS is ineffective in the selected secondary schools. As the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) outlines numerous performance standards for educators' appraisal, the results show that schools perceived QMS as central to one of these standards, namely lesson observation. To strengthen the system's effectiveness, the study provided recommendations to various stakeholders, including SMTs, circuit managers, the Provincial Department of Education, and labour unions. Among other recommendations are that the Provincial Department of Education should conduct QMS training and capacity building workshops for SMTs and circuit managers. The study's major findings imply the need for future research.