Dynamics of middle tier support in the South African education system: contextual and institutional influences

This research, undertaken by JET Education Services, forms part of broader work being conducted by the Learning Generation Initiative (LGI) to help address the gaps in evidence on how a stronger middle tier can positively influence education outcomes, including teaching and learning. This research seeks to address the specific gaps outlined above by providing new evidence and insights from the South African education system. The research explored the challenges and innovations in middle-tier professional’s practices in education management and instructional leadership as well as the institutional factors that frame how the middle tier undertake these responsibilities. Contextual factors were explicitly investigated to better understand how they interact with institutional issues to impact middle-tier effectiveness.