Abstract:
The extent to which school leaders experience a team work and participate in the practice
of school decision-making process has been viewed as a means of satisfying both
organizational objectives and their needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the
practice of participatory decision-making in selected secondary schools of
GoroGutuWoreda,East Hararghe Zone,OromiaRegion,and to come up with remedial
solutions to improve staff involvement, to assess the secondary schools principals’ practice
in decision-making and implementation and to resolve problems in teaching learning
process.The methods employed in the study were a Descriptive survey research design was
used with mixed research. Questionnaire, Interview,FGD, and Review of documents to
collect data from 4 principals, 8 vice-principals, 120 teaching staff, 27 non-teaching staff,
8 student- council and 4 PTA heads from GoroGutu secondary schools in East Hararghe
Zone,Oromia Region. The data were analyzed by using percentage, frequency, mean scores
and ANOVA. The findings of the study revealed the practice of participative decision making assessment had been insufficient. The GoroGutu Woreda school community,
teaching and non-teaching staff, students and PTA were relatively less involved in decision making. The practices of school principals in promoting participatory decision-making
approach and coordinating the tasks of schools were unsatisfactory.Besides,the practices
of decisions in various school activities, in implementation and evaluation of school
decisions, encouraging staff and mobilizing community were low. Based on the findings,
some of the recommendations were suggested. Principals should not only support the
instructional activities, but should also create conducive environment to involve the
stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient decision-making plat form in schools and also
to develop appreciation for team work and participation. At the end, to overcome problems
that hinder decision-making activities, the schools management should give much attention
for participative decision-making-process
