**4. Research methodology**

#### **4.1 Research approach and research design**

The participants in this study were visited at their respective schools as part of a qualitative research approach, and they were asked to reflect on how their school leaders had trained their teachers, how this had improved their performance and academic results, and how it had helped them become excellent school leaders [47]. In order to ensure that teacher development proficiencies and academic performance are examined through a number of lenses and that commonalities inside the schools and across instances are probed, the descriptive multiple case study research design visited the two high-performing schools [48].

#### **4.2 Participants**

There were 28 participants who took part in the study, including four senior teachers, six teachers, 12 students, two school heads, two deputy school heads, and two department heads. This group was purposively picked as they were working with the school heads on daily basis and hence had vital knowledge about their teacher professional development proficiencies and academic results [47, 49]. Due to the contributions of these participants, it was possible to compare the data gathered to identify commonalities among high-performing schools [50, 51].

#### **4.3 Data collection procedures**

The researcher spent 5 months gathering data in the Kweneng Region. Interviews, observations, document analysis, and focus groups were used to gather information for the study. Sixteen (16) teachers were interviewed, and twelve (12) learners participated in focus group discussions, out of the twenty-eight (28) participants that took part in the study. There were two Focus Group Discussions (FGD 1 and FGD 2,) with a total of six learners in each (FGD). All of the interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcribed digitally. During the interviews and focus groups, field notes were also obtained. The data acquired from interviews and focus group sessions was supplemented and corroborated by daily journaling and a review of pertinent educational documents. The researcher was able to improve triangulation as a result of this [47].

#### **4.4 Data analysis**

Additionally, the researcher employed content analysis to help with data reduction that makes sense and theme analysis to find patterns in what appeared to be random material throughout the instances [48, 52]. Based on the study questions, the themes

within the data set are analyzed through thematic analysis to determine their significance [52]. The author maintains that in thematic analysis, labels that are provided to texts in order to summarize key ideas are utilized as codes. The codes are essential because they serve as the basis for themes, which are recognized patterns within a data set [48]. The five steps of thematic analysis are: (1). Familiarize yourself with the data; (2). Look for themes and patterns in the codes; (3). Reviewing the themes, concluding the themes, and (4). Create an analysis. Each instance was built by the researcher using the data from that case [52]. Three crucial steps made up the case study construction process [52, 53]. The case record was constructed (a condensed version of the raw case data organized, classified, and edited into manageable data files), the raw case data (all information gathered about the school head and the schools) were assembled, and then the writing of the case study narrative (a readable, descriptive story about the school head and a school) were written [52]. The case narratives underwent inductive analysis to look for themes and patterns. These emerging themes and patterns from the case data were examined deductively in relation to the research questions and theoretical framework in order to determine the answers to the research questions. The research conclusion was developed using the findings that were discovered [48].

In conclusion, it is important to remember that the researcher went through the following steps when processing the data. Reading and rereading of all transcripts and papers were done after transcribing the audio-record data and documenting data records. This made it easier for the researcher to pinpoint key information in the data, explain emergent sub-themes and themes, and choose quotes to support those themes. The cross-case analysis that led to the generation of the findings was guided by the main findings, which reflected the central emergent notion from a series of cases. The conclusions of the study were given by the findings.
