Exploring instructional leaders' experiences in implementing and managing accelerated teaching and learning strategy in Lesotho schools

Abstract

Accelerated Teaching and Learning in Lesotho schools. The study adopted a qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews to gather data from nine participants purposely selected from three schools in the Berea district. The data collected included (1) How the AL/ATL was introduced in schools; (2) Instructional leaders’ roles in implementing and managing the strategy; (3) The challenges they encountered in fulfilling their roles; (4) Strategies they used to solve the challenges and the effectiveness of such strategies; and (5) The general views about the introduction of AL/ATL in schools, whether it has achieved its intended purpose. The findings revealed that the strategy was introduced in schools upon re-opening of schools after closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of introducing AL/ATL was to assist teachers in covering content not done when schools were closed together with the current grade content quickly. Instructional leaders were not familiar with this strategy prior to its introduction. The findings also established that the roles played by instructional leaders were to supervise and support teachers, provide resources and to encourage and monitor teachers to work properly. The findings revealed that instructional leaders encountered challenges in fulfilling their roles, namely a lack of resources and knowledge to implement the strategy and demotivated teachers and learners. They solved those challenges by engaging parents, improvising, teaching theory and leaving out practical part of the syllabus, inviting District Resource Teachers and counsellors. It was revealed that some of these strategies were effective while others were not. The findings indicated that the strategy achieved its purpose to a certain extent. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the MoET should provide intense training to the instructional leaders and teachers and provide resources to achieve the desired outcomes in Lesotho schools