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Ethical leadership in education is essential for fostering fairness, integrity, and accountability. Principals face complex ethical dilemmas in South African township schools that extend beyond conventional school leadership due to limited resources, political interference, and community-based governance. Based on a qualitative integrative literature review and conceptual analysis, this study systematically examined peer-reviewed scholarship alongside seminal works to identify key ethical leadership dimensions. The process involved structured searching, screening, and thematic synthesis of relevant literature. The outcome is a hybrid ethical leadership model (HELM) that integrates classical theories (e.g., virtue ethics, moral person–moral manager), contemporary perspectives (e.g., transformational leadership, social learning theory), African ethical traditions (e.g., Ubuntu, relational ethics), and Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological systems theory. The model offers a context-sensitive, multi-layered framework for ethical decision-making that balances justice, care, role modelling, and governance, contributing theoretically and practically to leadership training and school governance in township contexts.

The transition into higher education represents a pivotal stage in the academic journey of first-year students, marked by significant social and academic changes. These adjustments often expose readiness gaps that can impede student success in this new environment. To address these challenges, higher education institutions frequently implement induction programmes designed to prepare students for their new surroundings. This article critically evaluates the induction programme for first-year students at a private higher education institution through a qualitative case study approach within an interpretivist paradigm. The study scrutinises the influence of distributed, servant, and transformational leadership in fostering an effective, collaborative, and adaptable learning environment. Through interviews with six managerial-level participants, the research delves into the complex dynamics of managing these programmes, underscoring the essential role of leadership in enhancing programme efficacy. Key emerging themes include leadership and management strategies, engagement challenges, feedback mechanisms, and programme structure, all of which are crucial in shaping the induction experience for new students.

This research study adopted a social constructivist worldview to explore the gendered barriers that hinder female leaders' progression into leadership positions in schools. The study employed a qualitative approach, to delve into the experiences of female school leaders. Purposive sampling was used to select female school principals, deputy principals, and departmental heads from three public schools in the Johannesburg Central district. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data, and qualitative content analysis techniques were applied to analyze the data. Key findings revealed that female school leaders follow deliberate and structured paths to attain leadership positions, emphasizing the importance of a methodical approach. Gender bias, disrespect, family related challenges and inequality persists within the workplace, affecting interactions with colleagues and school governing bodies, though most female candidates make strides to overcome these challenges through their mentoring and open communication. Participants' lived experiences reflect both positive and negative aspects, influenced by the perspectives and attitudes of others. Recommendations include ongoing training and mentorship programs for female leaders, tailored to address their unique needs and challenges. Schools should establish transparent and bias-free evaluation processes to provide equal opportunities for leadership roles, promoting inclusivity and diversity, leading to quality relevant education. Continuous evaluation of these initiatives is crucial to ensure their effectiveness in fostering gender equality in school leadership. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the gendered barriers faced by female school leaders and provides actionable recommendations to promote their advancement in educational leadership roles, ultimately benefiting the educational system.

Background Adjustments teachers undertake to support gender equality in and through education will likewise raise the standard of instruction as a whole. Thus, to properly understand the teachers’ gender-responsive pedagogy through a feminist pedagogy lens, it is critical to grasp the mediating factors via a holistic approach. Objective This study seeks to investigate the mediating effect of teachers’ language usage in the relationship between awareness of the concept of gender-responsive instruction and gender-responsive pedagogy practice. Methods The study employed a correlational research design to develop a generalized framework which links the associations between study variables. It was conducted in Ethiopia’s South Gonder province with 305 teachers. Data were gathered between April 2023 and January 2024. A simple random sampling method was employed, ensuring that each member of the target population had an equal chance of being selected. A questionnaire was employed to gather data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, MANOVA, Pearson correlation and Path analysis using Lisrel. Findings As a result, teachers practiced language usage and gender-responsive pedagogy in the classroom was at low levels. Moreover, the relationship among school teachers’ awareness of the concept of gender equality classroom instruction, teachers’ language usage, and teachers’ gender-responsible classroom instruction were statistically significant, low to moderate, and positive. Finally, the finding showed that teachers’ language usage has a mediating effect on the relationship between their awareness of the concept of gender equality and gender-responsible classroom instruction. Conclusions and implications Teachers’ language usage serves as a mediating factor in the sense that their awareness of gender equality affects the way they communicate in the classroom, and this gender-sensitive communication, in turn, shapes their ability to deliver gender-responsible classroom instruction. Hence this study has a theoretical contribution to the existing literature and make teachers to become more accessible and responsive to a wider range of students across schools and so contribute to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4).

On a global level, COVID-19 has shaken the foundations of every sector. In the South African education context, the traditional methods of teaching, learning, and managing schools changed drastically overnight and management roles and responsibilities were pushed to unprecedented levels. Moreover, the roles of middle leaders and managers took place within a more distributive framework, encouraging school leaders to adopt varying styles of leadership to cope with the demands of COVID-19. For this study, middle leaders constitute departmental heads, grade heads and subject heads. This study utilised a qualitative research design, adopting a case study approach within the interpretivist paradigm. Three departmental heads and seven post level one educators who occupy grade heads/leaders’ roles in a primary school constituted the sample. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with participants to gain their understanding of how distributive leadership was practiced during the pandemic. Four themes emerged, namely leadership styles and factors informing the leadership behaviour and leadership growth of middle leaders and managers in schools; middle leaders’ and managers’ perceptions of distributive leadership and the responsibilities of the different stakeholders; the impact of COVID-19 on distributive leadership as perceived by middle leaders and managers; and the advantages and disadvantages of distributive leadership practices. The study recommends that School Management Teams (SMTs) involve middle leaders and managers to a greater degree to secure an effective ‘buy-in’ to the concept of distributive leadership and that middle managers offer opportunities for others to lead, by developing leadership-specific courses for them. SMTs must also ensure that individuals have a stable working environment where their psychological, sociological, and emotional needs are respected, fulfilled, and validated during any pandemic.

Background This study was designed to explore teachers' and middle managers' experiences regarding their principals' instructional leadership practices aimed at improving curriculum delivery in schools. Literature on instructional leadership indicates how failing schools can be turned around to become successful if principals consider instructional leadership to be their primary role within schools. The authors, therefore, argue that it is the responsibility of principals to ensure that learners' results are improved through intervention and support provided by the principals to capacitate teachers and middle managers in delivering the curriculum effectively. Globally, literature promotes the significance of the continued professional development of teachers, and many scholars allude to the pivotal role principals or school heads play in teachers' skills advancement. Aim The aim of this article was to identify principals' instructional practices that improve curriculum delivery in schools, which are examined through the experiences of teachers and middle managers. Setting The study was conducted in two schools in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Method The researchers employed a qualitative approach, utilising three domains of instructional leadership as its framework, and these are defining the school mission statement, managing the instructional programme and promoting a positive school learning climate. Four teachers and four middle managers were purposefully selected at two schools for data collection conducted through semi-structured individual interviews, which were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results Three themes emerged, namely, understanding good instructional leadership practices, teacher development as an instructional practice and instructional resource provisioning. Conclusion The study highlights the importance of teachers and middle managers in understanding that principals are merely not school managers or administrators, but rather instructional leaders whose primary role is to direct teaching and learning processes in schools. Principals need to create time within their constricted schedules to become instructional leaders, which is their main purpose in schools. If the roles and responsibilities of middle managers are not explicit, their ability to simultaneously perform the dual task of being teachers and middle managers will be compromised.

This study was undertaken to explore the role of principals in the capacity development of post level one teachers for school leadership positions. The success of a school and its attendant learner achievement depends largely on good school leadership.  Thus, it is highly unlikely that poor or ineffective school leadership will lead to successful schools. This study argues that it is the responsibility of principals to ensure that ample opportunities exist for leadership development of post level one teachers. A qualitative research approach was selected to investigate the role principals play in building leadership capacity in post level one teachers. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with ten (10) participants at two (2) schools: one (1) principal and four (4) post level one teachers per school.  The findings indicated that in both schools there was leadership capacity development taking place, but notably in different forms. It became clear that only some teachers in the participating schools were receiving adequate or effective leadership capacity development. A significant finding of this study is that principals play a fundamental role in the creation of subcommittees to enhance leadership capacity for post level one teachers. The study highlights the need that sub-committees be given sufficient authority and power to make decisions that benefit both the development of teacher leadership as well as improve teaching and learning in schools. Lastly, the study recommends that a five-year leadership capacity building program, as an internal in-service program, be introduced for all post level one teachers in schools to aid leadership capacity development.

This study set out to explore primary school principals’ instructional leadership. The study addressed a key issue in the school improvement literature, pertaining to the curriculum leadership of principals. The literature is not entirely clear about which leadership characteristic is more likely to produce the most favourable outcomes in terms of improved learner outcomes, in other words, how the curriculum has been implemented and how leadership in this regard has been effected. The article argues that robust training and development in instructional leadership practices become necessary to support school leaders in this regard. In South Africa, based on numerous reports of poor learner outcomes in schools, we question whether principals possess the necessary skills required to lead and manage curriculum in schools. In this article, the views of five principals, who have completed the Advanced Certificate in Education: School Leadership and Management (ACESLM) programme, are examined. Findings indicate that not all principals who participated in the study are fully conversant with their roles and responsibilities as instructional leaders. They mainly interpret their functions to be purely managerial and to be leaders and administrators of schools. Thus, whilst some understanding of instructional leadership was apparent in some of the principals’ responses, it is the authors’ views that ACESLM, as a leadership development programme, needs to be redesigned to include greater focus on instructional leadership.

On a global level, COVID-19 has shaken the foundations of every sector. In the South African education context, the traditional methods of teaching, learning, and managing schools changed drastically overnight and management roles and responsibilities were pushed to unprecedented levels. Moreover, the roles of middle leaders and managers took place within a more distributive framework, encouraging school leaders to adopt varying styles of leadership to cope with the demands of COVID-19. For this study, middle leaders constitute departmental heads, grade heads and subject heads. This study utilised a qualitative research design, adopting a case study approach within the interpretivist paradigm. Three departmental heads and seven post level one educators who occupy grade heads/leaders’ roles in a primary school constituted the sample. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with participants to gain their understanding of how distributive leadership was practiced during the pandemic. Four themes emerged, namely leadership styles and factors informing the leadership behaviour and leadership growth of middle leaders and managers in schools; middle leaders’ and managers’ perceptions of distributive leadership and the responsibilities of the different stakeholders; the impact of COVID-19 on distributive leadership as perceived by middle leaders and managers; and the advantages and disadvantages of distributive leadership practices. The study recommends that School Management Teams (SMTs) involve middle leaders and managers to a greater degree to secure an effective ‘buy-in’ to the concept of distributive leadership and that middle managers offer opportunities for others to lead, by developing leadership-specific courses for them. SMTs must also ensure that individuals have a stable working environment where their psychological, sociological, and emotional needs are respected, fulfilled, and validated during any pandemic.

This study was undertaken to explore the role of principals in the capacity development of post level one teachers for school leadership positions. The success of a school and its attendant learner achievement depends largely on good school leadership.  Thus, it is highly unlikely that poor or ineffective school leadership will lead to successful schools. This study argues that it is the responsibility of principals to ensure that ample opportunities exist for leadership development of post level one teachers. A qualitative research approach was selected to investigate the role principals play in building leadership capacity in post level one teachers. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with ten (10) participants at two (2) schools: one (1) principal and four (4) post level one teachers per school.  The findings indicated that in both schools there was leadership capacity development taking place, but notably in different forms. It became clear that only some teachers in the participating schools were receiving adequate or effective leadership capacity development. A significant finding of this study is that principals play a fundamental role in the creation of subcommittees to enhance leadership capacity for post level one teachers. The study highlights the need that sub-committees be given sufficient authority and power to make decisions that benefit both the development of teacher leadership as well as improve teaching and learning in schools. Lastly, the study recommends that a five-year leadership capacity building program, as an internal in-service program, be introduced for all post level one teachers in schools to aid leadership capacity development.