Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership

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dc.contributor.advisorJacklin, Heatheren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorVan der Merwe, Alisonen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-02T10:04:34Z
dc.date.available2014-09-02T10:04:34Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study investigates the effect of transiency on leadership practices in two international schools experiencing different rates of student and faculty turnover. Specifically it looks at different ways in which continuity of practice is achieved in the leadership area of regulation of student behaviour. The study draws upon the literature related to distributed leadership in particular the work of Spillane and models his approach of taking a distributed perspective of leadership. This is used as a lens to examine the ways in which leadership becomes embedded in the everyday practices of the school. Using data generated from document analysis, observations, interviews and artefacts, a comparison is made between School A (experiencing relatively high rates of student and faculty turnover) and School B (which has a much more stable student and teaching population). The study focusses on the role of 'institutional memory' in processes of continuity and investigates whether or not schools with transient populations do things differently. Data is analysed in three categories: Values and Purposes, Arrangements and Tools, and Routines. Activities that contribute to processes of consistency and continuity in the schools are identified. The discussion draws conclusions regarding the effects of transiency on practice and the significance of context when considering leadership decision-making processes. In general, the study found that in School A, continuity of practice was achieved through the materialisation and routinisation of processes and systems, and relied on the communication of expectations to all stakeholders and the distribution or embedding of practice at multiple levels. In School B, continuity of practice was achieved through the institutional memory of the people in the school and relied on longevity of staff and a strong, longstanding commitment to the school community on the part of the faculty. Finally, the implications of the findings for future research are presented.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationVan der Merwe, A. (2013). <i>Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6862en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationVan der Merwe, Alison. <i>"Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6862en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVan der Merwe, A. 2013. Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Van der Merwe, Alison AB - This study investigates the effect of transiency on leadership practices in two international schools experiencing different rates of student and faculty turnover. Specifically it looks at different ways in which continuity of practice is achieved in the leadership area of regulation of student behaviour. The study draws upon the literature related to distributed leadership in particular the work of Spillane and models his approach of taking a distributed perspective of leadership. This is used as a lens to examine the ways in which leadership becomes embedded in the everyday practices of the school. Using data generated from document analysis, observations, interviews and artefacts, a comparison is made between School A (experiencing relatively high rates of student and faculty turnover) and School B (which has a much more stable student and teaching population). The study focusses on the role of 'institutional memory' in processes of continuity and investigates whether or not schools with transient populations do things differently. Data is analysed in three categories: Values and Purposes, Arrangements and Tools, and Routines. Activities that contribute to processes of consistency and continuity in the schools are identified. The discussion draws conclusions regarding the effects of transiency on practice and the significance of context when considering leadership decision-making processes. In general, the study found that in School A, continuity of practice was achieved through the materialisation and routinisation of processes and systems, and relied on the communication of expectations to all stakeholders and the distribution or embedding of practice at multiple levels. In School B, continuity of practice was achieved through the institutional memory of the people in the school and relied on longevity of staff and a strong, longstanding commitment to the school community on the part of the faculty. Finally, the implications of the findings for future research are presented. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership TI - Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6862 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/6862
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationVan der Merwe A. Continuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadership. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,School of Education, 2013 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6862en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentSchool of Educationen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleContinuity of practice in two international schools: taking a distributed perspective of leadershipen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameM.Eden_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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