Exploring perceptions of secondary schools’ management teams on the effectiveness of quality management system: A transformational leadership lens
Simanga Phillip Lukhele & LDM Lebeloane
Abstract
The study explored the perceptions of secondary schools’ management teams (SMTs) on the effectiveness of quality management system (QMS). It was premised on the lens of Burns’ (1978) Transformational Leadership (TL) theory, which is ascribed for visionary leaders. Sixteen (16) participants (principals, deputy principals and departmental heads) were purposefully selected to participate in the study. A qualitative semi-structured telephone interview was primarily used to collect data. Braun and Clarke’s six steps of thematic data analysis was applied to arrange themes and sub-themes. The findings of the study reveal that the participants understood the role players responsible for the effectiveness of QMS in secondary schools. Despite the preceding narrative, there were discrepancies on the effectiveness of QMS. Basically, this positions the effectiveness of QMS as being ineffective in the selected secondary schools. Even though participants were eloquent in providing interventions to strengthen the effectiveness of the system, the study further recommends that policy makers in the Department of Basic Education should consider infusing the TL theory for future streamlining and rebranding of QMS. However, it is worth mentioning that the study’s limitation was that the sample size of sixteen participants was small to represent the findings of all secondary schools in the district. Secondly, the use of the telephone interview posed network challenges which led to consistent communication break downs. These limitations pose a need for further research, especially delving in an increased sample size and other data collection instruments, to strengthen the methodological rationale.
Keywords
educational management, integrated quality management system, quality education, performance measurement
Author information & Contribution
Simanga Phillip Lukhele. Corresponding author. Department of Educational Leadership and Management, University of South Africa, South Africa. Email: 17269741@mylife.unisa.ac.za
LDM Lebeloane. Department of Science and Technology Education, University of South Africa, South Africa. Email: lebelldm@unisa.ac.za
"Both authors contributed equally to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and manuscript writing. They both read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by University of South Africa (Ref: 8223). The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearances by the University of South Africa.
Data and Materials Availability
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
Ademola, I. A., Okebukola, P. A., Oladejo, O. A., & Agbanimu, D. (2021). Teachers’ qualifications and teaching experience: Impact on quality assurance in Nigerian secondary education. Journal of Management and International Development, 6(1).
Africano, N., Rodrigues, A. S., & Santos, G. (2019). The main benefits of the implementation of the quality management system in higher education institutions in Angola. Quality Innovation Prosperity, 23(3), 122–135. https://doi.org/10.12776/QIP.V23I3.1292
Ahmed, G., & Al Amir, A. (2022). The transformational leadership of the founding leaders of the United Arab Emirates: Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. International Journal of Technology, Innovation and Management, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.54489/ijtim.v2i1.58
Almonawer, N., Althonayan, A., Alainati, S., Al-Hammad, F., Haque, R., & Senathirajah, A. R. S. (2023). Transformational leadership style and school transformation: The case of secondary schools in Kuwait. International Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.46970/2022.29.1.4
António, A., & Kuebo, P. G. A. (2024). Education policy in Angola and the guarantee of the right to education: Articulation between the context of influence and text production. Educar em Revista, 40, e94760. https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-0411.94760-T
Babatunde, A. G., & Victor, A. A. (2018). Total quality management (TQM) practices adopted by head teachers for sustainable primary education in Northern Senatorial District of Ondo State, Nigeria. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 4(7), 182–188.
Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., Olsen, O. K., & Espevik, R. (2023). Daily transformational leadership: A source of inspiration for follower performance? European Management Journal, 41, 700–708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.04.004
Botha, D. C. (2019). The management of professional development of teachers in secondary schools. University of Pretoria.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brown, M., Brown, R. S., & Nandedkar, A. (2019). Transformational leadership theory and exploring the perceptions of diversity management in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 19(7). https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v19i7.2527
Byrne, D. (2022). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & Quantity, 56, 1391–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y
Cao, T. T., & Le, B. P. (2024). Impacts of transformational leadership on organizational change capability: A two-path mediating role of trust in leadership. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 33(2), 157–173. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-06-2021-0180
Cunha, R. S., Tintoré, M., Cabral, I., & Alves, J. M. (2020). Portuguese principals’ professional development needs and preferred learning methods. Education Sciences, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10090219
Dawadi, S. (2020). Thematic analysis approach: A step-by-step guide for ELT research practitioners. Journal of NELTA, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v25i1-2.49731
Díez, F., Villa, A., López, A. L., & Iraurgi, I. (2018). Impact of quality management systems on the performance of educational centers: Educational policies and management processes. Heliyon, 6, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03824
Finlay, L. (2021). Thematic analysis: The ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’. European Journal for Qualitative Research in Psychotherapy, 11, 103–116. https://doi.org/10.24377/EJQRP.article3062
Håkansson, J., & Adolfsson, C. H. (2022). Local education authority’s quality management within a coupled school system: Strategies, actions, and tensions. Journal of Educational Change, 23, 291–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09414-6
Hambali, A., & Idris, A. (2020). Transformational leadership, organizational culture, quality assurance, and organizational performance: Case study in Islamic higher education institutions. Journal of Applied Management, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jam.2020.018.03.18
Hossan, D., Mansor, Z. D., & Jaharuddin, N. S. (2020). Research population and sampling in quantitative study. International Journal of Business and Technopreneurship, 13(3), 209–222. https://doi.org/10.58915/ijbt.v13i3.263
Humble, N., & Mozelius, M. (2022). Content analysis or thematic analysis: Doctoral students’ perceptions of similarities and differences. The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 20(3), 89–98.
Iliyasu, R., & Etikan, I. (2021). Comparison of quota sampling and stratified random sampling. Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal, 10(1), 24–27. https://doi.org/10.15406/bbij.2021.10.00326
Ismaya, B., Sutrisno, D., Darmawan, D., Jahroni, J., & Kholis, N. (2023). Strategy for leadership: How principals of successful schools improve education quality. Al-Tanzim: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 7(1), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.33650/al-tanzim.v7i1.4686
Jowsey, T., Deng, C., & Weller, J. (2021). General-purpose thematic analysis: A useful qualitative method for anaesthesia research. BJA Education, 21(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjae.2021.07.006
Kadir, A. N. J. (2019). Education quality management and teacher effectiveness in Nigeria. Malaysian Online Journal of Education, 3(1), 59–68.
Kamau, E. N. (2020). Quality management practices and performance in primary schools in Ruiru Sub-County. School of Business.
Kavutai, M. (2018). Effects of total quality management practices on performance of public secondary schools in Makueni County. South Eastern Kenya University.
Kganyago, S. L. (2018). Managing the quality management system in schools. Rand Afrikaans University.
Lukhele, S. P., & Lebeloane, L. D. M. (2024). Revisiting management of high school teachers during COVID-19: Implication for leadership contingency. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353091
Lukhele, S. P., Lebeloane, L. D. M., & Mmusi-Phetoe, R. (2025). Bringing environmental education into practice in South African secondary schools: Examination of the norm activation model. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 6(4), 137–162. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353285
Mahmood, W., Ismail, S. N., & Fauzee, M. S. O. (2020). The effects of total quality management and school climate on academic performance of students in Pakistan. Indonesian Journal of Education Methods Development, 9, 1–14.
Mamabolo, M. M., Malatji, K. S., & Mphahlele, L. K. (2022). The role of supervisors in the implementation of the integrated quality management system in schools. South African Journal of Education, 42(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v42n1a2019
Mbindyo, M., O’Connor, R. J., & Nandedkar, A. (2021). Linking transformational leadership theory to the practice of academic advising: A conceptual paper. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 21(12), 172–182. https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v21i12.4710
Mensah, R. O., Acquah, A., Frimpong, A., & Babah, P. A. (2020). Towards improving the quality of basic education in Ghana: Teacher licensure and matters arising. Journal of Education & Social Policy, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.30845
Mmusi-Phetoe, R., Lukhele, S. P., & Lebeloane, L. D. M. (2025). Empower the girl child: An integrated approach to reducing adolescent pregnancy in South Africa. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(3), 54–78. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353235
Mutongoza, B. H. (2021). Chronicling school principals’ experiences on school management in the context of COVID-19 stringency. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 6(3), 146–162. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2021.35
Muzari, T., Shava, G., & Shonhiwa, S. (2022). Qualitative research paradigm: A key research design for educational researchers, processes and procedures—A theoretical overview. Indiana Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(1).
Osegbue, G. C., & Ohamobi, I. N. (2025). The administrative strategies of principals for achieving quality assurance in Anambra State’s public secondary schools. International Journal of Management and Business Intelligence, 3(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.5989/ijmbi.v31.283
Paulo, F. M. (2019). Investing in the people? Analysis of education policies in Angola. Qatar Research Repository. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003143840-41
Poturak, M., Mekić, E., Hadžiahmetović, N., & Budar, T. (2020). Effectiveness of transformational leadership among different cultures. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 7(3), 119–129. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v7i3p119
Reza, M. H. (2019). Components of transformational leadership behaviour. EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 5(3).
Rohini, S. G., & Pentang, J. T. (2023). Improving quality of management education in India: A stakeholder’s perspective. Journal of Informatics Education and Research, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.52783/jier.v3i1.49
Sambumbu, A. M. (2023). A model for the implementation of integrated quality management system (IQMS) in selected Eastern Cape schools (Doctoral dissertation). University of Fort Hare.
Savitri, E., & Sudarsyah, A. (2021). Transformational leadership for improving teachers’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 526, 308–312. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210212.069
Setiyaningtiyas, N., & Hartutik, H. (2022). Transformational leadership of kindergarten school principals based on integrity, professionality, and entrepreneurship. Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran, 8(3), 680–688. https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i3.5761
Shongwe, E. M., & Mutambara, E. (2023). The challenges experienced by school principals in the implementation of the QMS performance appraisal system in schools within Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Journal of Service Science and Management, 16, 266–279. https://doi.org/10.4236/jssm.2023.163015
Simelane, A., & Mutambara, E. (2022). Exploring principals’ perceptions of continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) in Mpumalanga Province. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 12(3), 277–286. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2022-0086
Singh, A. (2019). Role of transformational leadership in enhancing employee engagement: Evolving issues and direction for future research through literature review. Shri Venkateshwara University.
Sliwka, A., Klopsch, B., Beigel, J., & Tung, L. (2024). Transformational leadership for deeper learning: Shaping innovative school practices for enhanced learning. Journal of Educational Administration, 62(1), 103–121. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-03-2023-0049
South Africa. (1996). National Education Policy Act 27 of 1996. Government Printer.
South Africa. (1998). Employment of Educators Act 78 of 1998. Government Printer.
South Africa. (2020). Education Labour Relations Council. Government Printer.
Steyn, C. (2019). Teacher perceptions of professional development within the integrated quality management system (IQMS) in a Western Cape school. Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Sweis, R., Abualsondos, A., Magableh, M., Alamayreh, E., Sukkaris, L., & Alawneh, A. (2020). The effect of total quality management practices on the academic performance of ISO 9001 certified private schools: The case of Jordan. International Journal of Information, Business and Management, 12(1), 113–140.
Tachie, S., & Mancotywa, N. C. (2021). Challenges faced by the development support group in implementing the integrated quality management system in Circuit 04 schools in the Mthatha Education District. Education Research International, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8888539
Tanjung, B. N., Rahman, Y., Badawi, B., Suryana, A. T., Sumar, W. T., Mufid, A., Purwanto, A., & Warto. (2020). The influence of transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviour on the performance of Islamic school teachers. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(7), 539–546.
Yusuf, M., Masruhim, M. A., & Sjamsir, H. (2019). Integrated quality management practices in technical and vocational education in Indonesia: A lesson from SMKN 7 Samarinda, East Kalimantan Province. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 90–93. https://doi.org/10.2991/esic-18.2019.21
Cite this article:
Lukhele, S.P. & Lebeloane, L.D.M. (2026). Exploring perceptions of secondary schools’ management teams on the effectiveness of quality management system: A transformational leadership lens. International Journal of Educational Management and Development Studies, 7(1), 105-134. https://doi.org/10.53378/ijemds.353332
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Find this article in:
Most read articles
- Social media usage and the academic performance of Filipino junior high school students
- A narrative exploration of romantic experiences and ideal relationship standards among Filipino Gen Z
- Exploring the factors influencing commuters’ satisfaction and the use of public utility buses in Quezon City, Philippines
- Students’ exposure to social media and their radical involvement on the societal issues in the Philippines
- ChatGPT integration significantly boosts personalized learning outcomes: A Philippine study
- Tiktok made me book it: The impact of Tiktok on tourism destination selection of generation Z and millennials in Manila
- Senior high school students’ awareness and literacy on computer software applications
- Self-perception of ABM students towards their academic, social and emotional college preparedness
- Enhancing financial literacy among Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries
- Emotional intelligence and leadership efficacy of university student leaders