Rural Educational Leadership: An Ethnographic Case Study

• In Event: Contexts of Leadership Across the Globe

Abstract

This presentation reports on rural school leadership (Mafora 2013) in South Africa, using an ethnographic case study (Atkinson 2015; Murchison 2010; Wolcott 2008). This inquiry is theoretically underpinned by relational leadership (Hosking 2011) and emotional labour (Hochschild 1983; Iszatt-White 2013). We conducted longitudinal qualitative research using guided conversations and non-participant observations. Data were analysed for qualitative content using descriptive, process, in vivo and emotion codes (Saldaña 2013). Findings speak to leadership experiences of hope and anticipation, and to despair and disillusionment.

Authors

• Brigitte Smit, University of South Africa

• Rebotile Machaisa, University of South Africa

• Vincent Thulani Zengele, University of South Africa