Teacher participation in decision-making in senior high schools in the Kadjebi district

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the state of teachers’ participation in senior high school decision-making in the Kadjebi District. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 84 randomly selected professional teachers on the level of teacher participation in school decision-making, the school decision-making areas of teachers’ participation, the ways of involving teachers in school decision-making, the teachers’ demographic characteristics associated with their participation in school decision-making and the factors which influence teachers’ participation in school decision-making. The study revealed that teachers were most often in consultative decision-making with their school heads. Also the teachers always participated in curriculum and instructional activities and occasionally engaged in school operation and decisions that promote school-community relationship. However, they never participated in decision-making on students’ admission and placement staffing and financial matters. Teachers participated in school decision-making through delegation, school meeting, school Board of Governors, and school committee system. It is recommended that heads of schools adopt leadership styles that would create the needed environment for teachers to participate in all areas of school decision-making of their schools in order to bring about improvement in their performance and that of their students.