Educational leadership dynamics in a deprived rural setting were explored in research which earned Mrs Sebenzile Basi a Master’s degree in Education.
For her case study, Basi used three campus management team members at a Technical Vocational Education and Training College (TVET).
Basi said being a lecturer in a TVET college in a rural area motivated her to research her chosen topic. ‘I explored leadership experiences of a campus management team in a TVET college campus which seemed to thrive in a rural area.’
She says through her interactions with participants in the study she gained a clear understanding of the business challenges encountered, leadership practices to respond to the challenges, and the influence of the rural setting on leadership style.
Said Basi:. ‘I believe my research will benefit society, particularly leaders and lecturers at TVET colleges as they can learn from the findings I have shared in my dissertation. One of the study’s findings was the critical importance of investing in planning and setting systems as this indicates how the management team collaborated on and shared planning arrangements among themselves. The participants understood the systems in places and their importance and this was passed on to staff and students.
Basi, who is now studying for her PhD, said standards were set very high during her studies and this challenged her, while the death of her mother had been a huge setback,
She thanked family and friends and also her supervisor Dr Sibonelo Blose for their support.
Offering encouragement to others on their postgraduate journey, she said, ‘The secret is never stop, keep pushing and everything will fall into place. You can conquer challenges with patience, resilience, and hard work.’
