VOlUME 05 ISSUE 04 APRIL 2022
Remigio Chingara
Lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe
Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
Prior to the Covid-19 global pandemic, school heads used to operate within known boundaries, with clear parameters, with set duty roasters, with clear lines of accountability and rules governing most things. Bureaucracy and by implication managerial leadership was the preferred approach to leading and managing. However, the context in which this approach was preferred has changed significantly because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Schools are now operating within prescribed Covid-19 guidelines. A raft of new measures such as physical distancing, wearing of face masks, hand washing, use of sanitisers and other public health protocols are now part of the new practices to reduce the spread of the disease.
The new ‘normal’ in school leadership has proved more difficult than the preCovid-19 one. It is a completely new ball game altogether, with no precedent or blueprint to learn from and yet school heads have to thrive in this unfamiliar territory. The problem is that they are now operating in an unfamiliar context, with new unfamiliar roles. This paper draws attention to the leadership practices that school heads can use to manage this disruptive change brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. It draws on lessons from experiences from elsewhere in the world to provide leadership practices that school heads can use.
KEYWORDS:Leadership, Complexity theory. Systems theory, School. Covid-19
REFERENCES
1) Ahmed, M. K., Afifi, M., and Uskokovic, V. (2020). Protecting healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic with nanotechnology: a protocol for a new device from Egypt. J. Infect. Publ. Health 13, 1243–1246. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.07.015
2) Bajaba, A. Bajaba S, lgarni M, Basahal and Basahel S (2021) Adaptive Managers s Emerging Leaders During the COVID-19 Crisis. Front. Psychol. 12:661628. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.6616
3) Bashirian, S., Jenabi, E., Khazaei, S., Barati, M., Karimi-Shahanjarini, A., Zareian, S., et al. (2020). Factors associated with preventive behaviours of COVID-19 among hospital staff in Iran in 2020: an application of the Protection Motivation Theory. J. Hosp. Infect. 105, 430–433. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2020.04.035
4) Chan, S. C. H. (2019). Participative leadership and job satisfaction: the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating role of fun experienced at work. Leadership. Org. Dev. J. 40, 319–333. doi: 10.1108/LODJ-06-2018-0215
5) Chang, Y.-Y., Hodgkinson, I., Hughes, P., and Chang, C.-Y. (2019). The mediation between participative leadership and employee exploratory innovation: examining intermediate knowledge mechanisms. Leadership. Org. Dev. J. 40, 334–355. doi: 10.1108/lodj-07-2018-0245
6) Dirani, K. M., Abadi, M., Alizadeh, A., Barhate, B., Garza, R. C., Gunasekara, N., et al. (2020). Leadership competencies and the essential role of human resource development in times of crisis: a response to Covid-19 pandemic. Hum. Resour. Dev. Int. 23, 380–394. doi: 10.1080/13678868.2020.1780078
7) Haque, A. (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic and the role of responsible leadership in health care: thinking beyond employee well-being and organizational sustainability. Leadership Health Services. 2020:71. doi: 10.1108/LHS-09-2020-0071
8) Irshad M, Majeed M nd Khattak SA (2021) The Combined Effect of Safety Specific Transformational Leadership and Safety Consciousness on Psychological Well-Being of Healthcare Workers. Front. Psychol. 12:688463. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.688463
9) Nystrom, P. C. (1990). Vertical exchanges and organizational commitments of American business managers. Group Organ. Stud. 15, 296–312. doi:10.1177/105960119001500305
10) Um-e-Rubbab, Farid T, Iqbal S, Saeed I, Irfan S nd khtar T (2021) Impact of Supportive Leadership During Covid-19 on Nurses’ Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital. Front. Psychol. 12:695091. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695091
11) Usman M, Ghani U, Cheng J, Farid T and Iqbal S (2021) Does Participative Leadership Matter in Employees’ Outcomes During COVID-19? Role of Leader Behavioural Integrity. Front. Psychol. 12:646442. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.646442
12) Zhao, F., Ahmed, F., and Faraz, N. A. (2020). Caring for the caregiver during COVID-19 outbreak: does inclusive leadership improve psychological safety and curb psychological distress? A cross-sectional study. Int. Nurse. Stud. 110, 103–125. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2020.103725
13) Bush, T. (2008). From Management to Leadership: Semantic or Meaningful change? Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, 36(2), 271-288.
14) Fernandez, A.A and Shaw, G.P, (2020) Academic Leadership in a time of crisis: the coronavirus and Covid19; Journal of Leadership Studies.14, 39-45, doi: 10.1002/jls21684
15) Harris, A., and. Jones, M. (2020). “Connect to Learn: Learn to Connect.” Professional Development Today 14 (4): 13–19.
16) Netolicky, D. M. 2020. “School Leadership during a Pandemic: Navigating Tensions.” Journal of Professional Capital and Community. https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/2056-9548#earlycite
17) Senge, P. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation (2nd ed.). London: Century.
18) Sherwood, C. (2020). A School leader in the time of Covid19: Five leadership lessons. https://www.sec.ed.co.uk/best practice.
19) Siemens, G, Dawson, S and Eshleman, K (2018) Complexity: A Leader's Framework for Understanding and Managing Change in Higher Education, Edu cause Review 53, no. 6.
20) Towler, A. (2020). Why should you care about Complexity Leadership? http//www.ckju.net/en
21) Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(4), 298-318. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.04.002
22) Watkins, D., Earnhardt, M., Pittenger, L., Roberts, R., Rietsema, K., & Cosman-Ross, J. (2017). Thriving in Complexity: A Framework for Leadership Education. Journal of Leadership Education, 16(4). https://doi.org/1012806/V16/I4/T4
23) Hunter, J. (2012). Institute leadership: The W. Edwards Deming Institute Blog. Retrieved from http://blog.Deming.org.
24) Bush, T. 2007. Educational leadership and management: theory, policy, and practice. South African Journal of Education, 27(3)391–406.
25) Bolden, F. 2020. How to Promote Teacher Leadership during a Pandemic. Professional Development, December 1, 2020. Accessed 05 February 2021.
26) World Health Organisation (WHO). 2020. "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report– 62. August 2020. Available at https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports, 2019. Accessed on 3 September 2020.
27) Sahlberg, P. (2020). Will the pandemic change schools. Journal of Professional Capital and Community. Available on https://www.emerald.com/insight/2056-9548.htm Doi: 10.1108pcc-05-2020-0026
28) Unicef (2020) Education Cluster Strategy: Zimbabwe Covid preparedness and Response Strategy. Unicef
29) Heffernan, Longmuir, Brightand Kim (2019) Perceptions of Teachers and Teaching in Australia. Monash University available on http://www.monash.edu.
30) Weber, M. (2020) Lets face it: The new school will be more difficult than the last. Here is why. Available on jerseyjazz.blogspot.com
31) Mayanja, T.B. (2020). Education Leadership during the Covid-19 and beyond. World of Education. Available on http://www.ei-ei.org/en