Neoliberalism and the changing direction of schools
An edupreneurial leadership approach
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14897847 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Desireé Pearl Larey (0000-0002-4694-4379, University of the Free State – Bloemfontein Campus Department of Education Management, Policy, and Comparative Education, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 41-56 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-15 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Educational Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0951-354X • E-ISSN: 1758-6518 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijem-01-2023-0033 |
| OpenAlex | W4400322314 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
Purpose This qualitative study discusses the importance of effective leadership practices in connecting the macro-, meso-, and micro-contexts in which school leaders operate, considering the colonial and apartheid history of South Africa and the current era of neoliberal philosophies by exploring the degree to which school leaders in historically disadvantaged schools in Western Cape Province use an edupreneurial approach to steer their schools in new directions. The school leaders, especially in historically disadvantaged Colored schools, are expected to be more autonomous and accountable for making the school environment conducive to performance standards and improved learning results. The study uses an edupreneurial leadership approach as a theoretical lens to explore entrepreneurial agency, together with the educational leadership approach of school principals as a consequence of neoliberal policies. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on secondary schools in historically Colored communities in Western Cape Province through semi-structured interviews with four purposively selected school principals and four teachers from four different schools in the Western Cape Province. Findings Education and training programs should focus on cultural values and practices to enhance the efficacy of these schools. Furthermore, an entrepreneurial mindset and spirit are aspects that can be encouraged in a culturally sensitive manner. The edupreneurial leadership approach in developing countries has a distinctive nature. Originality/value This study contributes to forging an understanding of how neoliberal trends influence school leadership practices in developing countries, especially the leadership work of school principals across public schools in the Western Cape Province in South Africa
Economics · Educational leadership · Instructional leadership · Management · Pedagogy · Political economy · Political science · Public relations · School administration · Sociology · Education Systems and Policy · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Public Administration · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Inductive content analysis
Leading Educational Change
Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited
Introduction
Entrepreneurial leadership behaviour of primary school principals across Europe
Educational Development in South Africa
Poverty & privilege
Diversity and contested social identities in multilingual and multicultural contexts of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa
The teacher's soul and the terrors of performativity
Neoliberalism as Creative Destruction
Hope, Fear, Shame, Frustration
Neoliberalism, New Public Management and the human service professions
| Highly cited | No |
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