Experiences of school management teams in managing the curriculum of mathematics in primary schools in the OR Tambo Coastal in the Eastern Cape Province

Abstract

This study explored School Management Teams’ (SMTs’) experiences of managing the mathematics curriculum in primary schools within the OR Tambo Coastal District of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study was motivated by persistent learner underperformance in Mathematics and the increasing expectation that SMTs should provide effective instructional leadership and curriculum management within challenging rural school contexts. The study was underpinned by an integrated theoretical framework comprising Instructional Leadership Theory, Curriculum Management Theory, Systems Theory, and Constructivist Theory. These theories provided complementary lenses for understanding SMTs as instructional leaders, curriculum managers, participants within broader educational systems, and interpretive agents who construct meaning from their curriculum management experiences. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and employed a qualitative case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of SMTs’ lived experiences of managing the mathematics curriculum. Purposive sampling was used to select sixteen SMT members, comprising principals, deputy principals, and heads of department from six primary schools in the OR Tambo Coastal District. Data were generated through semi-structured individual interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, and researcher field notes. The data were analysed using thematic analysis involving transcription, coding, categorisation, theme development, and interpretation. The findings revealed that SMTs experience Mathematics curriculum management as a complex and demanding responsibility shaped by limited Mathematics-specific expertise, staffing shortages, workload pressures, curriculum demands, and contextual learner challenges. Additional barriers included inadequate human resource capacity, limited parental and community support, insufficient resources, and inconsistent district support. The study further found that existing support structures were largely administrative and compliance-oriented, with limited emphasis on instructional leadership development and Mathematics curriculum strengthening. Collectively, the findings indicate that challenges in Mathematics curriculum management are shaped by both school-level leadership capacity and broader systemic conditions. Despite these challenges, SMTs employed adaptive strategies such as curriculum supervision, instructional modelling, collaborative practices, peer support mechanisms, assessment monitoring, and the use of Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs) to support Mathematics teaching and learning. The study proposes an SMT Mathematics Curriculum Management Empowerment Framework that integrates instructional leadership development, curriculum management support, teacher capacity strengthening, and systemic support mechanisms to enhance Mathematics curriculum management in rural primary schools. The study concludes that effective Mathematics curriculum management is a multidimensional process influenced by instructional leadership, organisational capacity, contextual realities, and systemic support. It recommends Mathematics-focused professional development for SMTs, strengthened district support, improved staffing and resource provision, and enhanced collaboration among schools, communities, and education stakeholders to improve curriculum management and learner outcomes in Mathematics

Olu phando luhlolisise amava amaQela oLawulo lweZikolo (SMTs) ekulawuleni ikharityhulam yeMathematika kwizikolo zamabanga aphantsi kwiSithili sase-OR Tambo Coastal, kwiPhondo leMpuma Koloni, eMzantsi Afrika. Olu phando lukhuthazwe kukungaphumeleli okuphindaphindiweyo kwabafundi kwiMathematika kunye nokwanda kwemfuno yokuba ii-SMTs zinike ubunkokeli obusebenzayo bokufundisa nolawulo lwekharityhulam kwiimeko ezinzima zezikolo zasemaphandleni. Olu phando lusekelwe kwisiseko sethiyori esidibeneyo esiquka iThiyori yoBunkokeli boKufundisa (Instructional Leadership Theory), iThiyori yoLawulo lweKharityhulam (Curriculum Management Theory), iThiyori yeSystems (Systems Theory), kunye neThiyori yeConstructivism. Ezi thiyori zanceda ukuqonda ii-SMTs njengabakhokheli bokufundisa, abalawuli bekharityhulam, abantu abasebenza ngaphakathi kweenkqubo zemfundo ezibanzi, kunye nabantu abenza intsingiselo yamava abo olawulo lwekharityhulam. Olu phando lusebenzise indlela ye-interpretivist kunye noyilo lwesifundo esisemgangathweni (qualitative case study) ukuze kuqondwe ngokunzulu amava aphilwayo e-SMTs ekulawuleni ikharityhulam yeMathematika. Kwasetyenziswa i-purposive sampling ukukhetha amalungu e-SMT alishumi elinesithandathu (16), aquka iinqununu, abaphathiswa, kunye neentloko zamasebe kwizikolo ezithandathu kwiSithili sase-OR Tambo Coastal. Idatha yaqokelelwa kusetyenziswa udliwanondlebe olusemi-structured, iingxoxo zamaqela (focus group discussions), uhlalutyo lwamaxwebhu, kunye namanqaku ophando. Idatha yahlaziywa kusetyenziswa i-thematic analysis equka ukubhala, ukufaka iikhowudi, ukucwangcisa iindidi, ukwakha imixholo, kunye nokutolika. Iziphumo zophando zibonise ukuba ii-SMTs zijongene nolawulo lwekharityhulam yeMathematika njengomsebenzi onzima ochaphazeleka kukungabikho kolwazi olwaneleyo lweMathematika, ukunqongophala kwabasebenzi, umthwalo omkhulu womsebenzi, iimfuno zekharityhulam, kunye neemeko zabafundi. Eminye imiqobo ibandakanya ukunqongophala kwezixhobo, inkxaso engaguqukiyo evela kwizithili, kunye nokungabikho kwenkxaso eyaneleyo evela kubazali noluntu. Iziphumo zikwabonise ukuba inkxaso ekhoyo igxile kakhulu kulawulo nolawulo lokuthotyelwa kwemigaqo kunokuphuhlisa ubunkokeli bokufundisa. Ngaphandle kwale mingeni, ii-SMTs zisebenzise iindlela zokulawula eziguqukayo ezifana nokubeka iliso kwikharityhulam, ukulinganisa ukufundisa, intsebenziswano phakathi kootitshala, inkxaso yoontanga, kunye nokusebenzisa ii-Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs) ukuxhasa ukufundisa nokufunda kweMathematika. Olu phando lucebisa isikhokelo sokuphuhlisa ii-SMT (SMT Mathematics Curriculum Management Empowerment Framework) esidibanisa ukuphuhliswa kobunkokeli bokufundisa, inkxaso yolawulo lwekharityhulam, ukomeleza ootitshala, kunye nenkxaso yenkqubo yemfundo ukuze kuphuculwe ulawulo lweMathematika kwizikolo zasemaphandleni. Olu phando lugqiba ukuba ulawulo lwekharityhulam yeMathematika luyinkqubo enezinto ezininzi ezixhomekeke kubunkokeli, izibonelelo, imeko yesikolo, kunye nenkqubo yemfundo. Licebisa uqeqesho olukhethekileyo lweMathematika kuma-SMT, inkxaso eyomeleleyo yezithili, ukuphuculwa kwabasebenzi nezixhobo, kunye nentsebenziswano phakathi kwezikolo, uluntu, kunye nabachaphazelekayo kwezemfundo ukuze kuphuculwe iziphumo zabafundi.

Phuputso ena e hlahlobile maiphihlelo a Lihlopha tsa Tsamaiso ea Likolo (SMTs) taolong ea kharikhulamo ea Mathematics likolong tsa mathomo Seterekeng sa OR Tambo Coastal, Profinseng ea Kapa Botjhabela, Afrika Borwa. Phuputso ena e susumelitsoe ke ho se sebetse hantle ha baithuti ho Mathematics le tlhokahalo e ntseng e eketseha ea hore SMTs li fane ka boetapele bo sebetsang ba thuto le taolo ea kharikhulamo maemong a thata a likolo tsa mahaeng. Phuputso e thehiloe ho moralo oa likhopolo o kopaneng o kenyelletsang Instructional Leadership Theory, Curriculum Management Theory, Systems Theory le Constructivist Theory. Likhopolo tsena li thusitse ho utloisisa SMTs e le baetapele ba thuto, batsamaisi ba kharikhulamo, karolo ea tsamaiso e pharalletseng ea thuto, le batoloki ba maiphihlelo a bona a taolo ea kharikhulamo. Phuputso e sebelisitse paradigm ea interpretivist le moralo oa thuto ea boleng (qualitative case study) ho utloisisa ka botebo maiphihlelo a SMTs taolong ea kharikhulamo ea Mathematics. Ho ile ha sebelisoa purposive sampling ho khetha litho tse leshome le metso e tšeletseng (16) tsa SMT, ho kenyeletsa lihlooho tsa likolo, batlatsi ba bona, le lihlooho tsa mafapha likolong tse tšeletseng Seterekeng sa OR Tambo Coastal. Lintlha li ile tsa bokelloa ka lipuisano tse hlophisitsoeng ka mokhoa o bonolo (semi-structured interviews), lipuisano tsa lihlopha (focus groups), tlhahlobo ea litokomane, le lintlha tsa mofuputsi. Lintlha li ile tsa hlahlojoa ka thematic analysis e kenyeletsang ho ngola, ho khouta, ho hlophisa lihlopha, ho theha lihlooho le ho toloka. Liphuputso li bontšitse hore SMTs li tobane le taolo ea kharikhulamo ea Mathematics e rarahaneng e susumetsoang ke ho hloka tsebo e lekaneng ea Mathematics, khaello ea matichere, moroalo o moholo oa mosebetsi, litlhoko tsa kharikhulamo le mathata a baithuti. Litšitiso tse ling li kenyeletsa khaello ea lisebelisoa, tšehetso e sa tsitsang ea setereke, le tšehetso e fokolang ea batsoali le sechaba. Liphuputso li boetse li bontšitse hore tšehetso e teng e shebane haholo le taolo ea tsamaiso ho e-na le ho matlafatsa boetapele ba thuto. Leha ho le joalo, SMTs li sebelisitse maano a feto-fetohang a kang tlhokomelo ea kharikhulamo, mohlala oa thuto, tšebelisano-'moho, tšehetso ea basebetsi-'moho, le tšebeliso ea Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs) ho tšehetsa ho ruta le ho ithuta Mathematics. Phuputso ena e sisinya moralo oa matlafatso oa SMT bakeng sa taolo ea kharikhulamo ea Mathematics o kopanyang nts'etsopele ea boetapele ba thuto, tšehetso ea tsamaiso ea kharikhulamo, ntlafatso ea bokhoni ba matichere, le tšehetso ea tsamaiso ea thuto. Phuputso e phethela ka hore taolo e atlehileng ea kharikhulamo ea Mathematics ke ts'ebetso e rarahaneng e susumetsoang ke boetapele, mokhatlo, maemo a sekolo, le tšehetso ea tsamaiso. E khothaletsa koetliso e shebaneng le Mathematics bakeng sa SMTs, tšehetso e matla ea litereke, ntlafatso ea basebetsi le lisebelisoa, le tšebelisano pakeng tsa likolo, sechaba le ba amehang ho ntlafatsa liphetho tsa baithuti