Principals’ Intergenerational Knowledge-Sharing Practices in a Professional Learning Community: A Case of a South African Education Circuit

Abstract The kernel of this paper was to investigate the state of intergenerational knowledge-sharing practices in a principals’ professional learning community (PLC) at a selected South African education circuit. The paper was nested in a qualitative approach and the interpretivist paradigm. Deliberate and snowball sampling techniques were employed to draw out eight participants of different generational orientations, namely the Boomers II (1955 – 1964), Generation X (1965 – 1980) and Millennials (1981 – 1996) whose subjective voices moulded the findings of the paper. Wenger’s (1998) communities of practice (CoP) theory was used as a theoretical backbone for the paper. The final outlook of the thematic analysis demonstrated that intergenerational knowledge-sharing practices entrenched an asset-based mindset in a PLC and resulted in knowledge transfer, bridging of skills gaps, and elimination of misconceptions among members. It enabled members to meaningfully and jointly brainstorm strategies to address challenges that affect their leadership role. In addition, the finding revealed that the bondage among members invoked a sense of codependence in them, in terms of which those from adequately resourced schools shared their resources with those from under-resourced schools. Another finding exposed minor (but costly) barriers to the optimal functionality of intergenerational relations caused by code-switching between English and vernacular (Indigenous) languages, which diminished non-vernacular language speakers’ absorption of information. The second barrier, as expressed by the youngest members of the PLC (i.e., Millennials), was caused by overreliance on the older members’ (i.e., the Boomers II and Generation X) expert power to resolve decision-making stalemates, resulting in non-distributive decision-making. The paper recommended that code-switching be minimised to enable all members to participate in knowledge sharing on an equal basis. Older members of the PLC are encouraged to view the inclusion of younger members in key decision-making processes as a vital strategy to uphold the integrity and sustainability of intergenerational dialogue, collective social responsibility, and effective problem-solving.