The role of supervisors in the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System in schools

Abstract

The aim of the study reported on here was to evaluate the roles of supervisors in the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in South African schools. The supervisors are the School Management Teams (SMTs), namely principals, deputy principals, or heads of department (HoD), circuit managers, and district coordinators. We followed a qualitative approach to evaluate the implementation of the IQMS based on supervisors’ perspectives. A case study research design was used with an interpretive paradigm to evaluate the day-to-day practices of the IQMS. The population in this study consisted of 38 supervisors (circuit managers, principals, deputy principals and HoDs). Purposive sampling was used to select 12 participants who have been supervisors in the past 10 years. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Kolb’s learning theory was used as a theoretical lens to evaluate how the IQMS was applied in the circuit under study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there was no proper implementation of the IQMS in schools. Teachers conducted the IQMS for monetary reward instead of quality assurance. We conclude that the roles and responsibilities of supervisors are crucial during the implementation of the IQMS in schools, and that a huge discrepancy existed between the perceptions of supervisors and educators. We recommend that continuous training for both supervisors and educators is necessary for better implementation.