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Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1869484205933592576 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Feldman, Toni Lynn |
| author2 | Conradie, Karlien |
| author_browse | Conradie, Karlien Feldman, Toni Lynn |
| author_facet | Conradie, Karlien Feldman, Toni Lynn |
| author_sort | Feldman, Toni Lynn |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135982 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:11:12.125Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135982 Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals Feldman, Toni Lynn Conradie, Karlien Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Educational leadership -- Women Women school principals -- Vocational guidance School principals -- Vocational guidance Women executives -- Sex differences UCTD Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Feldman, T. L. 2026. Narrating the Career Development Experiences of Female School Principals. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/51a00c9e-f8da-4e54-aa8b-442fd52048d5 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated how female school principals in South Africa described their career development within a gendered and unequal educational setting. Although women make up most of the teaching workforce, they remain significantly underrepresented in school leadership. Using the systems theory framework (STF), the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), and narrative theory, the study explored how personal agency, relational support, and systemic factors interacted to influence women’s leadership paths and professional growth identities. Guided by a constructivist paradigm, the research employed a qualitative narrative inquiry approach to highlight participants’ experiences and the meanings they attributed to them. Data were gathered by means of semi-structured interviews and a visual “River of Life” activity with three female principals from secondary schools in Cape Town. By means of narrative and counter-narrative analyses, the study examined how participants interpreted their career journeys, navigated gender and institutional barriers, and shared stories of resilience, purpose, and transformation. Five interconnected themes emerged, namely (1) non-linear and contextually grounded career paths; (2) tensions between gender and leadership within patriarchal and institutional norms; (3) relational networks as vital enablers; (4) leadership identity and practice rooted in relational authority and reflective engagement; and (5) future orientations centred on social justice, legacy, and empowerment. Throughout these narratives, participants challenged dominant ideas equating leadership with masculine authority, crafting counter-narratives that redefine leadership as relational, inclusive, and ethically grounded. The study contributes theoretically by demonstrating the value of integrating the STF, SCCT, and narrative inquiry to illuminate how women’s career development is shaped within intersecting personal, social, and systemic contexts. Practically, it offers insights for leadership development, mentorship, and policy initiatives that promote gender equity in education. Socially, it amplifies women’s voices and advocates for more inclusive and transformative understandings of school leadership in South Africa. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het ondersoek ingestel na hoe vroulike skoolhoofde in Suid-Afrika hul loopbaanontwikkeling binne 'n geslagsgebonde en ongelyke onderwysomgewing beskryf. Alhoewel vroue die grootste deel van die onderwysmag uitmaak, bly hulle beduidend minder verteenwoordig in skoolleierskap. Deur van die sisteemteorieraamwerk (STR), die sosiaal-kognitiewe loopbaanteorie (SKLT) en narratiewe teorie gebruik te maak, het die studie ondersoek ingestel na die interaksie tussen persoonlike werksaamheid, relasionele ondersteuning en sistemiese faktore om vroue se leierskapstrajekte en professionele groei-identiteite te beïnvloed. Gelei deur 'n konstruktivistiese paradigma, is 'n kwalitatiewe narratiewe ondersoekbenadering in die navorsing gebruik om deelnemers se ervarings en die betekenisse wat hulle daaraan geheg het, uit te lig. Data is ingesamel deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en 'n visuele "Rivier van die Lewe"-aktiwiteit met drie vroulike skoolhoofde van hoërskole in Kaapstad. Deur middel van narratiewe en teen-narratiewe ontledings het die studie ondersoek ingestel na hoe deelnemers hul loopbaanreise vertolk, geslags- en institusionele hindernisse hanteer, en stories van veerkragtigheid, doelgerigtheid en transformasie gedeel het. Vyf onderling verwante temas het na vore gekom, naamlik (1) nie-lineêre en kontekstueel gegronde loopbaanweë; (2) spanning tussen geslag en leierskap binne patriargale en institusionele norme; (3) relasionele netwerke as noodsaaklike bemagtigers; en (4) leierskapsidentiteit en -praktyk gewortel in relasionele gesag en reflektiewe betrokkenheid; en (5) toekomstige oriëntasies wat op sosiale geregtigheid, nalatenskap en bemagtiging ingestel is. Deur hierdie narratiewe het deelnemers dominante idees wat leierskap met manlike gesag gelykstel, uitgedaag en teennarratiewe geskep wat leierskap as relasioneel, inklusief en eties gegrond herdefinieer. Die studie dra teoreties by deur die waarde van die integrasie van die STR, SKLT en narratiewe ondersoek te demonstreer om te belig hoe vroue se loopbaanontwikkeling binne oorvleuelende persoonlike, sosiale en sistemiese kontekste gevorm word. Prakties bied dit insigte vir leierskapsontwikkeling, mentorskap en beleidsinisiatiewe wat geslagsgelykheid in onderwys bevorder. Sosiaal versterk dit vroue se stemme en pleit dit vir meer inklusiewe en transformerende begrippe van skoolleierskap in Suid-Afrika. Masters 2026-04-17T06:56:27Z 2026-04-17T06:56:27Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135982 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 204 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Educational leadership -- Women Women school principals -- Vocational guidance School principals -- Vocational guidance Women executives -- Sex differences UCTD Feldman, Toni Lynn Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| title | Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| title_full | Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| title_fullStr | Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| title_short | Narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| title_sort | narrating the career development experiences of female school principals |
| topic | Educational leadership -- Women Women school principals -- Vocational guidance School principals -- Vocational guidance Women executives -- Sex differences UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135982 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT feldmantonilynn narratingthecareerdevelopmentexperiencesoffemaleschoolprincipals |