Transformative leadership in resource-constrained schools in South Africa

Many students attending resource-scarce schools follow an almost predetermined pathway in which their lower socioeconomic status becomes intergenerational entrenched due to poor achievement outcomes. This chapter argues that transformative leadership in disadvantaged schools can create transformative schools. School principals are the facilitators of learning, and must articulate a transformative vision to the school, and inspire teachers, parents, and students to achieve shared goals. In producing higher student outcomes than expected, these schools and their leadership are playing a transformative role in South African society. Using information from transformative resource-scarce schools that are performing above the national average, responses of primary school principals, teachers, and students are used to identify transformative leadership practices and outcomes. Transformative leadership in educational in educational context is not abstract, nor is it a system of practice that requires a Herculean effort, but it can be attained by specific transformative leadership practices with achievable outcomes.