Principals’ experiences of support in the management of the implementation of curriculum change in secondary schools

Abstract

Principals’ management of curriculum change is critical in successfully implementing transformation in schools. This is particularly crucial  in South Africa where the curriculum has been in a constant state of flux since 1994. In this article, we explore principals'  experiences on the support they receive in the management of the implementation of curriculum change in the Sekhukhune district of  South Africa. Data were generated by using interviews and documents. The thematic content analysis approach was used to analyse the  data. We found that the principals did not receive the necessary support that they needed to be able to manage the implementation of  curriculum change in schools successfully. Furthermore, the implementation of curriculum change has been hindered by under- provisioning of staff and resources. We argue that unless the government alters its approach to the support that it provides to principals,  the challenges regarding the implementation and management of curriculum change in schools will persist and perpetuate the wastage  of resources.