PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES IN DECISION MAKING IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DEGAHBUR TOWN, SOMALI REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

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