Educational Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Factors Contributing to Resistance to Pedagogical and Policy Changes in a Rural School

Abstract

This study explores the factors contributing to educational stakeholders’ resistance to pedagogical and policy changes within a rural school in the Bojanala District, South Africa. Utilizing a qualitative approach, fifteen participants comprising five members of the School Governing Body (SGB), five members of the School Management Team (SMT), and five Grade 12 learners were purposively sampled to provide a multi-perspective analysis of the institutional environment. The findings reveal that resistance is driven by a complex interplay of limited policy awareness, deep-seated cultural and traditional beliefs, systemic socioeconomic challenges, and significant psychological barriers. These factors collectively undermine the quality of teaching and learning by inhibiting curriculum innovation, fostering learner disengagement, and eroding school morale. To address these systemic hurdles, the study advocates for a multi-tiered integration strategy that prioritizes transparent stakeholder communication frameworks to align national policy with local rural realities, the institutionalization of sustained, context-specific professional development, and the cultivation of transformational leadership capable of navigating the unique socio-economic constraints inherent in rural educational landscapes.