Abstract:
The study was aimed at investigating the practice and challenges in decision making in the
secondary schools of Degahbur town, Somali region. To conduct this study, the concurrent mixed
design was employed. A total of 105 respondents (93 teachers, 12 school leaders, 8 PTSA
coordinators and 8 Students council Representatives from three secondary schools in the
Degahbur town were included in the study. The teacher respondents were selected by simple
random sampling (lottery) technique whereas, principals, department heads, supervisors and
Parents and students Associations’ members were taken by availability sampling techniques. The
data were gathered through a questionnaire, interview and documents analysis. Data gathered
through questionnaire were analyzed using frequency and percentage. Data obtained through
interview and from documents were analyzed thematically. The study findings suggested that
teachers’ level of participation in decision making were low. They participated mostly in issues
related to curriculum and instructional tasks; and participated least in budget and income
generation. School leaders (Principals and department heads) in encouragement of teachers’
involvement in school decision- making were found to be very low. The absence of participatory
school leadership, lack of trust between teachers and principals, lack of training and support, lack
of commitment, and lack of motivation were some of the factors that were found to have hindered
teachers’ participation in school decision-making. These likely affect the overall activities of the
school in general and teachers’ participation in school decision making process in particular. It
was thus concluded that due concern was not given to teacher’s role in school decision-making in
this study. Finally, it was recommended that school leaders should assess knowledge, skills and
attitude gaps of teachers and ought to provide continual training on decision making to resolve
the problems
