Teachers’ Perspectives on the Role of Integrated Quality Management System in Enhancing Quality Teaching and Learning in Selected King Cetshwayo District Secondary Schools, South Africa

The Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) is a nationwide policy aimed at enhancing teacher productivity. It serves as a school quality management system with the dual objectives of fostering teacher professionalism and reinforcing accountability in educational institutions. This article explores teachers’ perceptions of the IQMS’s role in improving teaching and learning at secondary schools in the King Cetshwayo District in South Africa. The study employed a qualitative research design aligned with an interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to gather data through semi-structured interviews with 17 participants from five Circuit Management Centres in the King Cetshwayo District. The interview data were transcribed and subsequently processed through coding, thematic analysis and interpretation to extract meaningful insights and address the research question. The findings indicate that the IQMS has been ineffectively implemented, which resulted in persistent challenges to enhancing teaching and learning in schools. Despite this, the participants expressed a belief that the management system has positively affected the teaching and learning process. The study concludes that the inadequacy of the IQMS in enhancing teaching and learning in secondary schools can be attributed to its initial distortion. Originally designed to foster teacher professionalism and support educational quality, the IQMS has become intertwined with pay progression policies. Consequently, the original developmental purpose of the IQMS has been compromised, which led to an emphasis on performance metrics rather than meaningful improvements in teaching practices. The study recommends prioritising learner pass rates and scores in assessment standards to realign the focus towards enhancing educational outcomes.