Preparing school leaders in post -apartheid South Africa: A survey of leadership preferences of principals in Western Cape

Are the school leaders who have graduated from the University of Western Cape (UWC) better than leaders from other institutions? Are there differences in leadership practices based on gender and race? The study examines the self-reported leadership practices of a group of principals and deputy principals in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Of the 67 subjects, 34 were school leaders who graduated from UWC, a historically black university (HBU). The other 33 graduated from other tertiary institutions. Subjects ranged in age from their 30s to 50s. They were ethnically diverse. There were 39 males and 28 females in the sample.;All subjects completed a 30-item questionnaire called the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). The LPI is a well-tested instrument created by Kouzes and Posner (1993). Data was gathered in August and September 2000 in two locations near Cape Town. The LPI measured five vectors or characteristics of leadership practice; challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way, and encouraging the heart.;Analysis of variance procedures reveal no differences (.05 level) between the two groups of school leaders in each of the five vectors. Significant findings include a relationship between age and "encouraging the heart" and gender and "enabling action.";Decisions about education and training are important because of the large expense in persons, money and time involved. This is particularly true in South Africa, where the inefficiencies of the apartheid system are being rationalized. The findings of this research indicate that UWC does as well as other institutions in preparing school leaders.;In future, one might study the effect of union membership on leadership behavior and add an "integrity factor" to verify self-reported leadership practices.