Exploring Departmental Heads’ experiences of Quality Management System as a Professional Development Programme

Enhancing the skills of Departmental Heads (DHs) is essential to meet the increasing demands of 21st-century education. In South African schools, limited professional development initiatives, such as the Quality Management System Professional Development Programme (QMS PDP), have been introduced to support DHs’ growth. However, challenges in implementation persist. This study explored DHs’ perspectives on QMS PDP as a professional development tool, addressing a limited knowledge base on its effectiveness. Grounded in adult learning theory, the study adopted an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative phenomenological design. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with eleven DHs across four purposively selected schools. Findings revealed a strong need for sustained professional development among school managers. Participants acknowledged that the QMS PDP contributed positively to their development as leaders and administrators. The study highlights the importance of QMS PDP in improving educational quality by strengthening school leadership. However, it also found that the programme requires refinement to better address practical challenges faced by DHs, including workload and implementation constraints. The study recommends: (1) strengthening QMS PDP through comprehensive and continuous training, (2) integrating a clear QMS implementation plan into DBE Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs), and (3) prioritising administrative support to reduce DHs workload and enhance their focus on instructional leadership. This study extends the limited empirical literature on QMS PDP in South Africa by foregrounding DHs’ lived experiences and demonstrating how structured professional development, grounded in adult learning theory, can enhance middle leadership capacity while identifying critical areas for policy and programme improvement.