Abstract:

Leadership and management practices contribute to learning organizations. Transformational leaders devote considerable time towards developing a shared vision amongst staff regarding the fundamental purpose of the school. They develop mechanisms to enhance communication across the schools, and establish structures that enable the staff to embrace a truly participatory decision making. This study about the role of educational leadership and management practices in transforming schools into learning organizations, aimed to explore how headteachers’ transformational leadership and management practices may facilitate progress towards a learning organization. The experiences of three secondary headteachers were used as the basis of the research. The data were collected through the qualitative case study research method, using semi–structured interviews, observations and analysis of relevant documents. The results revealed that the headteachers definitely made differences in their schools to make them learning organizations. The findings of this study are significant as they provide insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the educational leadership and management practices in transforming schools into learning organizations and also into what additional support is required for the headteachers to transform their schools. This study highlights the recommendations in the area of school as learning organizations and transformational leadership, so as to make the concept of school as learning organizations more amenable to the school stakeholders.

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