Role of teachers in decision-making process in secondary schools: a case of Gucha District, Nyanza Province-Kenya
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Date
2012-09-04
Authors
Mwoma, Peter Simba
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Abstract
The purpose of this project is to investigate the role of teachers in decision making process in Gucha District Secondary Schools. In secondary education, teachers take decisions in all areas which form part of their duties and responsibilities as they carry out their administrative and management tasks. This research was influenced by the various problems education sector inNyanza Province especially Gucha District was facing like poor examination performance and indiscipline in schools. These problems are by and large attributed to failure of administrators and managers to involve teachers, students and other stakeholders in decision making. The key questions for the study sought information on who the decision makers are, the dominant style of decision making and the extent to which the style of decision making enhance service delivery in our schools. The sample for the study consisted of 16 head teachers, 20 H. O.Ds 18 M. 0 .Ds and 105 teachers randomly selected. This study used Head teachers and teacher's decision making
questionnaires, observation of teachers' roles while in their schools and interviewed some teachers on how often they are involved in decision making process as an instrument of research. The study revealed that teachers needs to be more involved in formulation and preparation of curriculum and syllabus, finance and business, physical and material resources, evaluation of counseling services, and also on school community even in appointment of non-teaching staff personnel. The report also revealed that the style of decision making was largely autocratic and teachers noted that they were occasionally consulted on issues of administration and management of our school. However for effective management, teachers need to be always or frequently involved in decision making. The study further revealed that the style of decision making negatively affected service delivery in Gucha District because teachers felt that their input was never considered by Head teachers. The study recommended that teachers should have a bigger say in the development of curriculum and syllabus, finance and business, staff personnel, physical and material resources and in Guidance and counseling because these tasks affect school performance and general discipline in our schools. The report further proposes that more research needs to be carried out on how students influence decision making in secondary schools, the relationship between schools' general performance and decision making process and also how the Ministry of Education policies affect teachers' decision making process. Decision-making is the process of specifying the nature of a particular problem and selecting among available alternatives in order to solve it{Okumbe 1998). According to Okumbe, decisions are made in such areas as allocation of scarce teaching and learning resources, the enrolment of students, employment of teaching and non-teaching staff) the introduction of new curriculum reformation, student and staff training and methods of improving pedagogy and educational research. Robert Harris, (1998) defines decision making as the process of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preference of the decision maker. The decision process is concerned with the whole range of activities in making a decision, not merely the point of decision. It encompasses everything from the initial stimulus for a need for a decision through to the feedback from surveying events as a result of the decision taken (Chris Gore, 1992).