The role of school management teams in enhancing education quality: A case study of four schools in the Chris Hani West Education District, South Africa

This study assessed the roles of School Management Teams in improving the quality of education in four selected secondary schools. The Total Quality Management Systems and Transformational Leadership Frameworks were used to ground this study. A qualitative approach and multi-case study design were used to collect data from participants. Four schools were purposively selected, and a principal, deputy principal, and departmental head were purposefully sampled from each of the schools. Data was generated using semi-structured interviews, analyzed using content analysis, and presented in themes. The main findings of this study are that departmental heads are not properly monitoring their departments, and the deputy principals are not properly heading the curriculum of the school. The findings indicated that the period registers, time book, and class registers are not properly monitored, leading to high learner absenteeism. However, some departmental heads still have a problem regarding the concept of working as a team. This study recommends that the Department of Education should conduct training and induction for the senior posts, which are the departmental heads, deputy principal, and principals. School Management Teams must employ departmental heads with expertise in the subjects that they are heading. This study contributes to scholarship by offering empirical insights into the leadership challenges within School Management Teams, particularly in the areas of curriculum management, departmental oversight, and teamwork. It enhances the understanding of how Total Quality Management and Transformational Leadership frameworks can be applied in secondary schools, while also informing policy and leadership development practices through context-specific recommendations.