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The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ)
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613875819511808 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Karsten, Michelle Elizabeth |
| author2 | Janse van Vuuren, Jaco |
| author_browse | Janse van Vuuren, Jaco Karsten, Michelle Elizabeth |
| author_facet | Janse van Vuuren, Jaco Karsten, Michelle Elizabeth |
| author_sort | Karsten, Michelle Elizabeth |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132568 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:06.129Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132568 The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) Karsten, Michelle Elizabeth Janse van Vuuren, Jaco Gorgens, Gina Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. School principals -- Evaluation -- South Africa Personnel management -- Education -- South Africa Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa School management and organization -- Evaluation -- South Africa Psychological tests -- Evaluation -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Karsten, M. E. 2025. The Psychometric Evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ). Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/4f64993c-45c6-46fa-9999-a5b88a8b2f11 ENGLISH SUMMARY: Despite three decades of democracy, South Africa continues to grapple with a legacy of inequality in education, with a significant disparity in resource allocation and performance between historically advantaged schools and disadvantaged schools, particularly those serving Black learners. This enduring inequality has hindered the development of a skilled workforce, contributing to broader socioeconomic challenges such as unemployment, inequality, and social immobility. In this context, effective school leadership has emerged as a crucial lever for improving school outcomes, as strong leaders can implement strategic changes, foster inclusive environments, and drive academic excellence despite systemic challenges. The objective of this research study was to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ), which consists of 11 latent competency variables. This evaluation aimed to explore the instrument’s potential to inform the selection and development of school principals. Using a quantitative ex-post facto correlation design, the study examined data from a representative sample of 117 principals across four provinces in South Africa. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and item analysis were conducted to evaluate the dimensionality and internal consistency of the questionnaire, while discriminant validity was used to assess the degree to which the constructs were distinct from each other. The secondary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between school principal competencies, as measured by the SA-SPCQ, and matriculant achievement rates. This analysis utilised correlation techniques to understand how various competencies might influence academic performance. The findings suggested that the SA-SPCQ has strong internal consistency across all subscales, with each demonstrating some degree of unidimensionality. These results highlight the SA-SPCQ measurement tool has the potential to enhance the selection and development of school principals, ultimately contributing to improved school performance. Moreover, the correlation analysis identified significant relationships between several competencies and matriculant achievement rates. However, discriminant validity revealed high correlations between some constructs, raising concerns about their distinctiveness. Despite its strengths, the study acknowledges limitations, including the small sample size, potential biased self-reports by principals, limited internet access for some participants, and possible language barriers in understanding the questionnaire. Recommendations for future research include exploring the longitudinal impact of school principal competencies on school improvement and learner achievement, as well as implementing the SA-SPCQ in diverse educational settings to further validate its effectiveness. The study concludes that the SA-SPCQ is a promising tool for assessing school principal competencies in the South African context, providing valuable insights for educational authorities, policymakers, and professional training institutions. The proper utilisation of the tool can contribute towards reducing educational inequalities, enhancing school leadership development, and ultimately improving school performance across the country. Finally, it provides a robust foundation for future research studies and practical interventions aimed at transforming the quality of leadership in South Africa’s education system. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten spyte van drie dekades van demokrasie, sukkel Suid-Afrika steeds met 'n nalatenskap van ongelykheid in die onderwys, met 'n beduidende verskil in hulpbron-toewysing en prestasie tussen histories bevoordeelde skole en benadeelde skole, veral die wat swart leerders bedien. Hierdie voortgesette ongelykheid het die ontwikkeling van 'n geskoolde arbeidsmag belemmer en dra by tot bree r sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings soos werkloosheid, ongelykheid en sosiale immobiliteit. In hierdie konteks het effektiewe skoolleierskap na vore gekom as 'n belangrike hefboom vir die verbetering van akademiese en ander skooluitkomste, aangesien sterk leiers strategiese veranderinge kan implementeer, inklusiewe omgewings kan bevorder en akademiese uitnemendheid kan dryf ten spyte van sistemiese uitdagings. Die prime re doel van hierdie navorsingstudie was om 'n psigometriese evaluasie van die Suid-Afrikaanse Skoolhoof Bevoegdheidsvraelys (SA-SHB) uit te voer. Die vraelys bestaan uit 11 latente bevoegdheidsveranderlikes. Die evaluasie het ten doel gehad om die instrument se potensiaal vir die keuring en ontwikkeling van skoolhoofde te ondersoek. Hierdie doel is bereik met behulp van 'n kwantitatiewe eks-post-facto korrelasie-ontwerp waarin data van 'n verteenwoordigende steekproef van 117 skoolhoofde oor vier provinsies in Suid-Afrika ondersoek is. Bevestigende faktor-analise (BFA) en item-analise is uitgevoer om die dimensionaliteit en interne konsekwentheid van die vraelys te evalueer, terwyl diskriminante geldigheid gebruik is om die onderskeibaarheid van die konstrukte te bepaal. Die sekonde re doel was om die verwantskap tussen variansie in die instrument se veranderlikes en variansie in algehele slaagsyfer van die leerders van die betrokke skole te ondersoek. Hierdie sekonde re doel is deur middel van korrelasie verwesenlik. Dit is bevind dat die SA-SHB sterk interne konsekwentheid toon oor alle subskale, met elkeen wat 'n mate van eendimensionaliteit demonstreer. Hierdie resultate beklemtoon die SA-SHB se potensiaal as 'n waardevolle hulpmiddel vir die voorspelling van skoolprestasie. Verder het die korrelasie-analise beduidende verhoudings tussen verskeie bevoegdhede en matrikulantprestasie geidentifiseer. Diskriminante geldigheid het egter hoe korrelasies tussen sommige bevoegdhede aan die lig gebring, wat vrae laat ontstaan oor hul onderskeibaarheid. Naas die studie se sterk punte, word die volgende beperkings erken: die klein steekproefgrootte, moontlike bevooroordeelde selfverslae deur skoolhoofde, beperkte internettoegang vir sommige deelnemers, en moontlike taalhindernisse in die interpretasie van die Engelse vraelys. Aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing sluit in die verkenning van die langtermyn-impak van skoolhoofbevoegdhede op skoolverbetering en leerderprestasie, sowel as die implementering van die SA-SHB in diverse opvoedkundige kontekste om sy doeltreffendheid verder te valideer. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die SA-SHB 'n belowende hulpmiddel is vir die van skoolhoofbevoegdhede in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Dit bied waardevolle insigte vir opvoedkundige owerhede, beleidsmakers en professionele opleidingsinstellings. Die behoorlike gebruik van die instrument kan bydra tot die vermindering van onderwysongelykhede, die bevordering van leierskapsontwikkeling en uiteindelik die verbetering van skoolprestasie regoor die land. Ten slotte bied dit 'n stewige grondslag vir toekomstige navorsingstudies en praktiese intervensies wat daarop gemik is om die kwaliteit van leierskap in Suid-Afrika se onderwysstelsel te help transformeer. Masters 2025-06-11T09:00:27Z 2025-06-11T09:00:27Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132568 Stellenbosch University xiv, 125 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | School principals -- Evaluation -- South Africa Personnel management -- Education -- South Africa Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa School management and organization -- Evaluation -- South Africa Psychological tests -- Evaluation -- South Africa UCTD Karsten, Michelle Elizabeth The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) |
| title | The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) |
| title_full | The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) |
| title_fullStr | The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) |
| title_short | The psychometric evaluation of the South African School Principal Competency Questionnaire (SA-SPCQ) |
| title_sort | psychometric evaluation of the south african school principal competency questionnaire sa spcq |
| topic | School principals -- Evaluation -- South Africa Personnel management -- Education -- South Africa Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa School management and organization -- Evaluation -- South Africa Psychological tests -- Evaluation -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132568 |
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