HOPEACADEMY
HED 4812
ASSIGNMENT 01
2025
Assignment 1
Scenario: Leading Change in a 21st Century School
Context:
You are the newly appointed principal of Makhubung High School, a diverse urban school
facing several challenges:
• Declining student performance in national assessments.
• Low teacher morale and high staff turnover.
• Resistance to change from long-standing staff members……..
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 2 9
,HED 4812 Assignment 1
Scenario: Leading Change in a 21st Century School
1. Analyse the Scenario:
o Identify the key challenges and opportunities in the scenario.
As the new principal of Makhubung High School, I face many serious
challenges. First, student performance is going down in national tests.
This shows that teaching and learning need to improve. Second, many
teachers feel unhappy and leave the school often. This makes it hard to
keep good staff. Third, some teachers who have worked at the school
for a long time do not want to accept new ideas. Their resistance makes
change difficult. Fourth, there is very little contact with parents and the
community. When parents are not involved, students may not get the
support they need at home. Lastly, the school is not using enough
technology. In the 21st century, students must learn digital skills to
succeed in modern jobs.
However, these challenges also bring chances to grow. For example,
improving technology use can make lessons more exciting and prepare
students for future careers. Working with parents and the community
can build support for students. By offering training and support, we can
also help teachers feel more valued and open to change. With a clear
plan and teamwork, the school can improve and become a strong,
modern learning place (Fullan, 2007).
Reference:
, Fullan, M. (2007). The New Meaning of Educational Change. Teachers
College Press.
o Apply 21st-century leadership theories (e.g., transformational
leadership, distributed leadership, servant leadership) to address the
issues.
o solve the problems at Makhubung High School, I will use
transformational, distributed, and servant leadership. Transformational
leadership means inspiring teachers and students to do their best. I will
set a clear vision, praise good work, and encourage new ideas to
improve learning (Bass & Riggio, 2006). This can help raise student
results and make staff feel more positive.
Distributed leadership means sharing leadership roles with others. I will
give responsibilities to senior teachers and let them lead small teams.
This helps everyone feel important and reduces pressure on one leader
(Spillane, 2006). It can also make staff more open to change and bring
in new ideas.
Servant leadership means putting others first. I will listen to teachers’
and students’ needs and support them. This will help build trust,
improve morale, and reduce staff turnover (Greenleaf, 2002). When
teachers feel supported, they teach better and stay longer.
HED 4812
ASSIGNMENT 01
2025
Assignment 1
Scenario: Leading Change in a 21st Century School
Context:
You are the newly appointed principal of Makhubung High School, a diverse urban school
facing several challenges:
• Declining student performance in national assessments.
• Low teacher morale and high staff turnover.
• Resistance to change from long-standing staff members……..
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 2 9
,HED 4812 Assignment 1
Scenario: Leading Change in a 21st Century School
1. Analyse the Scenario:
o Identify the key challenges and opportunities in the scenario.
As the new principal of Makhubung High School, I face many serious
challenges. First, student performance is going down in national tests.
This shows that teaching and learning need to improve. Second, many
teachers feel unhappy and leave the school often. This makes it hard to
keep good staff. Third, some teachers who have worked at the school
for a long time do not want to accept new ideas. Their resistance makes
change difficult. Fourth, there is very little contact with parents and the
community. When parents are not involved, students may not get the
support they need at home. Lastly, the school is not using enough
technology. In the 21st century, students must learn digital skills to
succeed in modern jobs.
However, these challenges also bring chances to grow. For example,
improving technology use can make lessons more exciting and prepare
students for future careers. Working with parents and the community
can build support for students. By offering training and support, we can
also help teachers feel more valued and open to change. With a clear
plan and teamwork, the school can improve and become a strong,
modern learning place (Fullan, 2007).
Reference:
, Fullan, M. (2007). The New Meaning of Educational Change. Teachers
College Press.
o Apply 21st-century leadership theories (e.g., transformational
leadership, distributed leadership, servant leadership) to address the
issues.
o solve the problems at Makhubung High School, I will use
transformational, distributed, and servant leadership. Transformational
leadership means inspiring teachers and students to do their best. I will
set a clear vision, praise good work, and encourage new ideas to
improve learning (Bass & Riggio, 2006). This can help raise student
results and make staff feel more positive.
Distributed leadership means sharing leadership roles with others. I will
give responsibilities to senior teachers and let them lead small teams.
This helps everyone feel important and reduces pressure on one leader
(Spillane, 2006). It can also make staff more open to change and bring
in new ideas.
Servant leadership means putting others first. I will listen to teachers’
and students’ needs and support them. This will help build trust,
improve morale, and reduce staff turnover (Greenleaf, 2002). When
teachers feel supported, they teach better and stay longer.
