ABSTRACT

The role of the Heads of Departments (HoDs) in the school structure is to provide middle leadership. They assist the principals on the day to day leadership of the schools. They are responsible for ensuring the achievement of their departmental and school vision and mission. This study sought to explore the nature of the challenges faced by the HoDs in the Lesotho context. The study was framed within the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative approach. The participants consisted of sixteen HoDs and eight school principals. These participants were purposively selected and then interviewed through the focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the HoDs face several challenges that hinder their performance. For example, they lack the requisite skills to perform their duties. They also encounter considerable resistance from their peers. In the light of the findings, we argue that it is crucial for the HoDs to be afforded the empowerment and support that they need so that they can do their job efficiently. This support may benefit their schools as well as the entire education sector.

摘要

部门负责人 (HoD) 在学校结构中的作用是提供中层领导。他们协助校长进行学校的日常领导。他们负责确保实现部门和学校的愿景和使命。本研究旨在探讨在莱索托背景下 HoD 面临的挑战的性质。该研究是在解释范式内进行的，并采用了定性方法。参与者包括十六名校长和八名校长。这些参与者是有目的地选择的，然后通过焦点小组和半结构化访谈进行访谈。调查结果显示，HoD 面临一些阻碍其表现的挑战。例如，他们缺乏履行职责所需的技能。他们也遇到了来自同龄人的相当大的阻力。根据调查结果，我们认为，为 HoD 提供他们所需的授权和支持至关重要，这样他们才能有效地完成工作。这种支持可能使他们的学校以及整个教育部门受益。