Preparing School Leaders in Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Survey of Leadership Preferences of Principals in Western Cape

OBJECTIVE
This study examined the leadership practices of a group of principals in South Africa.

METHODOLOGY
Sixty-seven school principals from the Western Cape (South Africa) participated in the study by completing the Leadership Practices Inventory. There were 28 females and 39 males in this group and their ages ranged from the 30s to the 50s, nearly all were members of a teacher’s union (94%), and just over half received their college degree from the University of Western Cape.

KEY FINDINGS
No significant differences were found in the overall LPI scores from graduates of the University of Western Cape (UWC) compared with all other tertiary institutions. Similarly no differences in overall LPI scores were found on the basis of gender or age.

No differences were found between UWC and other tertiary institutions on any of the five leadership practices. No differences were found on the basis of gender for Model, Inspire, Challenge, and Encourage but males report more frequent use of Enabling Others to Act than did females. No differences were found on the bases of age for Model, Inspire, Challenge, and Encourage but use of Encouraging the Heart did increase as age increased.