Challenges, opportunities and strategies of distributed leadership in managing environmental education curriculum in South African secondary schools

Adams, W. C. (2015). Conducting semi-structured interviews. In K. E. Newcomer, H. P. Hatry, & J. S. Wholey (Eds.), Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (4th ed., pp. 492–505). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171386.ch19

Ahmad, N. A., Mohamed, S., Hasnan, K. A., & Ahmad Puad, F. N. (2018). The use of teacher’s joke increases students’ involvement inside the classroom. The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 5(10), 5039–5046. https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsshi/v5i10.06 .

Ajitoni, B. D. (2024). Ubuntu and the philosophy of community in African thought: An exploration of collective identity and social harmony. Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development, 7(3), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.4314/jassd.v7i3

Alase, A. (2017). The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education & Literacy Studies, 5(2), 9-19.  https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.2p.9

Anthony, A. B., Gimbert, B., Luke, J. B., & Hurt, M. H. (2019). Distributed leadership in context: Teacher leaders’ contributions to novice teacher induction. Journal of School Leadership, 29(1), 54–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684618825086.

Avissar, I., Alkaher, I., & Gan, D. (2017). The Role of Distributed Leadership in Mainstreaming Environmental Sustainability into Campus Life in an Israeli Teaching College: A Case Study. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19, 518-546.

Babaoglan, E. (2016). Improving principal and teacher relationship: Predictive power of school principals’ leadership with teachers’ organizational trust perception. Educational Planning, 23(2), 7–17.

Badampudi, D., Fotrousi, F., Cartaxo, B., & Usman, M. (2022). Reporting consent, anonymity, and confidentiality procedures adopted in empirical studies using human participants. e-Informatica Software Engineering Journal, 16(1), 220109. https://doi.org/10.37190/e-Inf220109

Baștea, A.-R., Catalano, H., & Dohotaru, A. I. (2023). An overview of distributed leadership and its shortcomings in educational settings. Educatia 21 Journal, 25(12), 116-126. https://doi.org/10.24193/ed21.2023.25.12

Berjaoui, R. R., & Akkary, R. K. (2019). Distributed leadership as a path to organizational commitment: The case of a Lebanese school. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 19(8), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2019.1637900

Berliner, D. (2011). Rational responses to high stakes testing: the case of curriculum narrowing and the harm that follows. Cambridge Journal of Education, 41(3), 287–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2011.607151

Brezicha, K., Bergmark, U., & Mitra, D. L. (2014). One size does not fit all: Differentiating leadership to support teachers in school reform. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(1), 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X14521632

Brown, M., Rutherford, D., & Boyle, W. (2000). Leadership for school improvement: The role of the head of department in UK secondary schools. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 11(2), 237–258. https://doi.org/10.1076/0924-3453(200006)11:2;1-Q;FT237

Bush, T. & Glover, D. (2012). Distributed leadership in action: Leading high performing leadership teams in English Schools. School Leadership & Management, 32(1), 21-36. http://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2011.642354

Bush, T. (2013). Distributed leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 41, 543 – 544.

Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: Complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652– 661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927206

Cardno, C. (2003). Secondary school principals as curriculum leaders: A New Zealand study. Paper presented at the New Zealand Association of Research in Education (NZARE) and Australia Association of Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/62ff/b89d708db843b562431ad2a07f198a98a6ba.pdf

Cherkowski, S., & Brown, W. (2013). Towards distributed leadership as standards-based practice in British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Education, 36, 23-46.

Chingara, R., & Heystek, J. (2019). Exploring distributed leadership in schools: Practices and perceptions of secondary school principals in Zimbabwe. The International Journal of Educational Management, 33(7), 1596–1609. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2018-0028

Corscadden, K. W., & Kevany, K. (2017). The TREEhouse: A hybrid model for experiential learning in environmental education. Applied Environmental Education and Communication, 16(1), 56–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533015X.2017.1284001

Damoah, B., & Adu, E. O. (2019). Challenges teachers face in the integration of environmental education into the South African curriculum. American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 3(10), 157–166.

Damoah, B., Khalo, X., & Adu, E. (2024). South African integrated environmental education curriculum trajectory. International Journal of Educational Research, 125, 102352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102352

Dawadi, S. (2020). Thematic analysis approach: A step by step guide for ELT research practitioners. NELTA Journal, 25(1-2), 62–71.

De Lima, J. Á. (2008). Department networks and distributed leadership in schools. School Leadership & Management, 28(2), 159–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430801969864

DeMatthews, D. E. (2014). How to improve curriculum leadership: Integrating leadership theory and management strategies. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 87, 192 – 196.

Devos, G., Tuytens, M., & Hulpia, H. (2014). Teachers’ organizational commitment: Examining the mediating effects of distributed leadership. American Journal of Education, 120(2), 205–231. https://doi.org/10.1086/674370

Du Plessis, A., & Eberlein, E. (2018). The role of heads of department in the professional development of educators: A distributed leadership perspective. Africa Education Review, 15(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2016.1224583

Dube, C. (2014). Environmental concerns in the geography curriculum: Perceptions of South African high school teachers. Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 30, 131–146.

Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11

Fazio, X., & Karrow, D. D. (2014). Exploring the professional characteristics and contexts of school-based environmental education ‘leaders’. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 59(4), 613 –629.

Fru, R. N., & Ndaba, T. L. (2023). Educators’ perceptions and approaches to environmental education and pro-environmental behaviour in South African secondary schools. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(5), 359–373. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.5.18

Gan, D. (2021). Environmental education leadership – the perceptions of elementary school principals as expressed in their drawings and explanations. Environmental Education Research, 27, 1440 – 1466.

García-Martínez, I., Montenegro-Rueda, M., Molina-Fernández, E., & Fernández-Batanero, J. M. (2021). Mapping teacher collaboration for school success. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 32(4), 631–649. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2021.1925700

Göksoy, S. (2015). Distributed leadership in educational institutions. Journal of education and training studies, 3, 110-118.

Govender, S. (2018). South African teachers’ perspectives on support received in implementing curriculum changes. South African Journal of Education, 38(Supplement 2), S1–S12. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v38ns2a1484

Govindasamy, V., & Mestry, R. (2022). The principal’s role in managing curriculum change: Implications for the provision of quality education. South African Journal of Education, 42(4), 2294. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v42n4a2294

Grant, C. (2017). Distributed leadership in South Africa: Yet another passing fad or a robust theoretical tool for investigating school leadership practice? School Leadership & Management, 37(5), 457-475. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2017.1360856

Grant, C. P. (2011). The relationship between distributed leadership and principal’s leadership effectiveness in North Carolina. (Doctoral dissertation). North Carolina State University, USA

Greany, T., & Waterhouse, J. (2016). Rebels against the system: Leadership agency and curriculum innovation in the context of school autonomy and accountability in England. International Journal of Educational Management, 30, 1188 – 1206.

Grenda, J. P. (2011). Instances and principles of distributed leadership: A multiple case study of Illinois middle school principals’ leadership practices (unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.‏ https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/4837297.pdf

Gronn, P. (2000). Distributed properties. A new architecture of leadership. Educational Management and Administration, 28, 317-338.

Gronn, P. (2002). Distributed leadership as a unit of analysis. Leadership Quarterly, 13, 423-451.

Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. (2009). The fourth way: The inspiring future for educational change. San Francisco: Corwin Press.

Harris, A. & Spillane, J. (2008). Distributed leadership through the looking glass. British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society, 122(1), 31-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0892020607085623

Harris, A. (2004). Distributed leadership and school improvement. Educational Management, 32(1), 11-24.

Harris, A. (2008). Distributed leadership: According to the evidence. Journal of Educational Administration, 46(2), 172-188.

Hartwig, E. A. (2021). Ecology-based curriculum design for transformative times: An integrated, context-responsive approach. In R. Iyengar & C.T. Kwauk (Eds.) Curriculum and Learning for Climate Action (pp. 206-218). Brill.

Hatcher, R. G. (2005). The distribution of leadership and power in schools. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 26, 253 – 267.

Hebe, H. (2019). Locating the position of environmental education in the South African school curriculum: The case of Grade R. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 15(9), em1750. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/108486

Holloway, J., Nielsen, A. W., & Saltmarsh, S. (2018). Prescribed distributed leadership in the era of accountability. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46, 538 – 555.

Hyett, N., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2014). Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 9, 23606. https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.23606

Jamshed, S. (2014). Qualitative research method-interviewing and observation. Journal of Basic and Clinical Pharmacy, 5(4), 87–88. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-0105.141942

Jita, L. C., & Mokhele, M. L. (2013). The role of lead teachers in instructional leadership: A case study of environmental learning in South Africa. Education as Change, 17(1), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/16823206.2014.865998

Khoza, S. B. (2016). Is teaching without understanding curriculum visions and goals a high risk? South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(5), 104–119. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-5-595

Kim, K. N. (2019). Teachers’ administrative workload crowding out instructional activities. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 39(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2019.1572592

Kirkpatrick, R., & Zang, Y. (2011). The negative influences of exam-oriented education on Chinese high school students: Backwash from classroom to child. Language Testing in Asia, 1(3), 36–45. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1186/2229-0443-1-3-36

Lee, S. K., & Kim, N. (2017). Environmental education in schools of Korea: Context, development, and challenges. Japanese Journal of Environmental Education, 26(4), 7-14.

Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2000). The effects of transformational leadership on organizational conditions and student engagement with school. Journal of Educational Administration, 38(2), 112–129. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230010320064

Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2006). Transformational school leadership for large-scale reform: Effects on students, teachers, and their classroom practices. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 17(2), 201–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243450600565829

Leithwood, K., Mascall, B., & Strauss, T.  (2009). Distributed leadership according to the evidence. London, Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203868539

Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2009). Epistemological access as an open question in education. Journal of Education, 46, 57–80.

Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2011). Teacher professional development with an education for sustainable development focus in South Africa: Development of a network, curriculum framework, and resources for teacher education. Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 28, 31–57. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajee.v28i0.64253

Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2013). Conceptions of quality and ‘learning as connection’: Teaching for relevance. Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 29, 26–38. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315843121

Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2012). Teacher professional development with an education for sustainable development focus in South Africa: Development of a network, curriculum framework and resources for teacher education. Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA). African Development Bank (AfDB), Tunis.

Maguire, M., & Delahunt, B. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 8(3), 3351–3364. http://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/335

Marques, R., & Xavier, C. R. (2020). The challenges and difficulties of teachers in the insertion and practice of environmental education in the school curriculum. International Journal on Social and Education Sciences, 2(1), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonses.v2i1.45

Masekoameng, M.C., & Zengele, T. (2015). Distributed leadership in schools. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 10, 359 – 369.

Mills, K., Weisgrau, J., Burke, Q., Lee, K., Solorzano, T., & Coenraad, M. (2024). Shifting education with learning pathways: Becoming your portrait of a graduate. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/205

Miškolci, J., Armstrong, D., & Spandagou, I. (2016). Teachers’ perceptions of the relationship between inclusive education and distributed leadership in two primary schools in Slovakia and New South Wales (Australia). Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 18(2), 53-65. https://doi.org/10.1515/jtes-2016-0014

Montecinos, C., Cortez, M., Zoro, B., & Zett, I. (2024). Senior leaders’ theories of action for managing subject departments as a school improvement strategy. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 52(3), 520-540. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432221089200

Monyooe, L., Tjatji, M., & Mosese, E. (2013). South Africa’s increased matriculation passes: What skunks behind the rose? Journal of Education and Training Studies, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v2i1.278

Mpisane, B. B. (2015). The role of high school heads of department as leaders of learning (Master’s dissertation). University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood Campus, South Africa.

Mpofu, J., & Sefotho, M. M. (2024). The relationship between the philosophy of ubuntu and the principles of inclusive education. Perspectives in Education, 42(2), 128–144. https://doi.org/10.38140/pie.v42i2.7338

Mthiyane, N., Naidoo, J., & Bertram, C. (2019). Context matters: Heads of Department’s leadership practices in monitoring and supporting teachers in schools participating in Jika iMfundo. Journal of Education, 75, 57–76. https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i75a05

Munasi, K. R., & Madikizela-Madiya, N. (2021). Agency curtailed: Implications for the integration of environmental education in life sciences. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa, 5(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.25159/2312-3540/9685

Munje, N. P., Tsakeni, M., & Jita, L. C. (2020). School heads of departments’ roles in advancing science and mathematics through the distributed leadership framework. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(9), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.9.3

Nkambwe, M., & Essilfie, V. N. (2012). Misalignment between policy and practice: Introducing environmental education in school curricula in Botswana. Educational Research and Reviews, 7(1), 19–26.

O’Donovan, M. (2015). The challenges of distributing leadership in Irish post-primary schools. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 8(2), 243–266.

Payne, P. (2006). The technics of environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 12, 487– 502.

Pentang, J. T. (2022). A fighter for life: Growing professionally amid challenges. In A.D. Magnaye, J.A. Sario, & D.A. Soguilon (Eds.), Fighters for life: building self-confidence and self-motivation (pp. 1-7). EDUHEART Book Publishing.

Peden, M. (2006). Review of environmental education: Some South African perspectives. Journal of Education, 40, 170–174.

Pervin, N., & Mokhtar, M. (2022). The interpretivist research paradigm: A subjective notion of a social context. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(2), 419–428.

Priya, A. (2021). Case study methodology of qualitative research: Key attributes and navigating the conundrums in its application. Sociological Bulletin, 70(1), 94 -110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920970318

Reis, G., & Guimaraes-Iosif, R. (2012). The death and life of a school-based environmental education and communication program in Brazil: Rethinking educational leadership and ecological learning. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 11, 123 – 132.

Ross, L., Lutfi, G. A., & Hope, W. (2016). Distributed leadership and teachers’ affective commitment. NASSP Bulletin, 100(3), 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636516681842

Ruslin, R., Mashuri, S., Abdul Rasak, M. S., Alhabsyi, F., & Syam, H. (2022). Semi-structured interview: A methodological reflection on the development of a qualitative research instrument in educational studies. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 12(1), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.9790/7388-1201052229

Sasere, O. B., & Makhasane, S. D. (2023). Exploring distributed leadership practice in Nigerian secondary schools. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 13(2), 90-92. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2023-0034

Savolainen, T. (2014). Trust-building in e-leadership: A case study of leaders’ challenges and skills in technology-mediated interaction. Journal of Global Business Issues, 8(2), 45 – 56.

Scribner, J. P., Sawyer, R., Watson, S. T., & Myers, V. (2007). Teacher teams and distributed leadership: A study of group discourse and collaboration. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43, 100 – 67.

Shabalala, N. P. (2023). Exploring strategies for environmental education interventions through distributed leadership in secondary schools in South Africa. International Journal of Educational Studies and Policy, 4(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7656786

Shabalala, N. P. (2024). Distributed leadership as a potential strategy for the management of environmental education curriculum in secondary schools. Pedagogical Perspective, 3(2), 255-272. https://doi.org/10.29329/pedper.2024.62

Shabalala, N. P., & Gumbo, M. T. (2024). Africanising distributed leadership in environmental education curriculum management. Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 39, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajee.v39.11

Shabalala, N. P., Hebe, H., & Mnguni, L. (2023). Characterization of curriculum leadership by South African school leaders and teachers in environmental education. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 81(3), 401–415. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/23.81.401

Shabalala, N. P., Hebe, H., & Mnguni, L. (2023). Distributed leadership: A potential agency for traversing power relations as impediments to curriculum transformation and implementation of environmental education. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pembelajaran IPA, 9(1), 29–57. https://doi.org/10.30870/jppi.v9i1.19500

Shaeffer, S. (1994). Participation for educational change: A synthesis of experience. International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP). Paris: UNESCO.

Shava, G. N., & Tlou, F. N. (2018). Distributed leadership in education: Contemporary issues in educational leadership. African Educational Research Journal, 6(4), 279–287. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.64.18.097

Sibanda, L. (2018). Distributed leadership in three diverse public schools: Perceptions of deputy principals in Johannesburg. Issues in Educational Research, 28, 781-796.

Smylie, M. A., Mayrowetz, D., Murphy, J., & Louis, K. S. (2007). Trust and the development of distributed leadership. Journal of School Leadership, 17(4), 469-503.

Spence, E., Wright, T., & Castleden, H. (2013). Present, absent, or tardy? A study of the barriers, bridges, and beliefs concerning environmental education among a cohort of sixth grade teachers in Nova Scotia. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 12, 197 – 206.

Spillane, J. P. (2005). Distributed Leadership. The Educational Forum, 69, 143-150.

Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Stanišić, J., & Maksić, S. (2014). Environmental education in Serbian primary schools: Challenges and changes in curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher training. The Journal of Environmental Education, 45, 118 – 131.

Stevenson, R. B. (1997). Developing habits of environmental thoughtfulness through the in-depth study of select environmental issues. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 2, 183–202.

Stevenson, R. B. (2007). Schooling and environmental education: Contradictions in purpose and practice. Environmental Education Research, 13(2), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620701295726

Stuart, C. D. D. (2012). Succeeding through uncertainty: Three L2 students in a first-year composition class (Doctoral dissertation). University of Washington Digital Repository.

Suralin, S. (2023). Integrating environmental education to form environmental care characters in schools. Advances in Community Services Research, 1(2), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.60079/acsr.v1i2.335.

Szczesiul, S., & Huizenga, J. (2014). The burden of leadership: Exploring the principal’s role in teacher collaboration. Improving Schools, 17(2), 176–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480214534545.

Tan, M. K., & Pedretti, E. (2010). Negotiating the complexities of environmental education: A study of Ontario teachers. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 10, 61 – 78.

Tapala, T. T., Fuller, M., & Mentz, K. (2021). Perceptions of departmental heads on their curriculum leadership roles: Voices from South Africa. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 21(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2020.1854790.

Tejeiro, F. (2024). Distributed leadership and inclusive schools. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 12(1), 36–56. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.10997

Tschannen-Moran, M. (2009). Fostering teacher professionalism in schools: The role of leadership orientation and trust. Educational Administration Quarterly, 45(2), 217–247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X08330501

Vohra, V. (2014). Using the multiple case study design to decipher contextual leadership behaviours in Indian organizations. The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 12(1), 54–65.

Williams, C. G. (2011). Distributed leadership in South African schools: Possibilities and constraints. South African Journal of Education, 31(2), 190-200​.