CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE: GRADE HEADS’ EXPERIENCES OF ENHANCING TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION IN SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIAL SCHOOLS
| Authors | Contact |
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Runash RAMHURRY Department of Languages, Cultural Studies and Applied Linguistics Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, South Africa |
runashr@uj.ac.za ORCiD: 0000-0003-3657-9010 |
Abstract
Teacher job satisfaction is a critical factor influencing educational quality, teacher retention, and learner outcomes, particularly within special school contexts characterised by increased complexity and resource limitations. In South Africa, the implementation of inclusive education policies has intensified the leadership responsibilities of grade heads, yet limited research has examined the challenges they encounter in supporting teachers' job satisfaction. This study investigated the challenges faced by grade heads in enhancing teachers' job satisfaction in South African special schools. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm, the study employed a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected grade heads serving in formal middle-leadership positions in special schools. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. To ensure trustworthiness, the study employed credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability strategies, including member checking, an audit trail, and rich descriptions of the research context. The findings indicate that grade heads experience interconnected challenges associated with resource shortages, excessive administrative demands, inadequate leadership and special-needs training, emotional strain, and weak institutional support, which collectively constrain their ability to provide effective instructional and emotional support to teachers. The study concludes that improving teachers' job satisfaction requires coordinated systemic interventions that strengthen leadership capacity alongside institutional and policy support. Practically, the findings provide evidence to inform Department of Basic Education policies, leadership development programmes for grade heads, and school-level support strategies aimed at improving teacher well-being, leadership effectiveness, and inclusive education in special schools.
Keywords
educational leadership, grade heads, inclusive education, special schools, teacher job satisfaction, transformational leadership
