Assessing teachers’ participation in decision making in selected junior high schools in Kwadaso municipality of the Ashanti Region

Abstract

The study was done to assess teachers’ participation in decision making in Junior High Schools of the Agric Circuit in the Kwadaso Municipality. The objectives of the study were; determining teachers’ participation in decision-making in the Junior High Schools, to establish the impediments to teachers’ participation in decision-making in Junior High Schools, and to find out how the challenges to decision making could be addressed in Junior High Schools of the Agric Circuit in the Kwadaso Municipality. The study used descriptive survey design for the study. The target population of the study was 86 teachers. Census technique was used to involve all the 86 teachers in the study. Closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Pre-testing obtained reliability coefficient of 0.81. The study found, among others, that teachers were involved in determining students’ rights and welfare and determined teaching methodologies. Impediments to teachers’ participation in decision-making were, lack of change skills and lack of training and support. Also, democratic leadership style by management, provision of congenial work environment and provision of training and support were some ways to address the challenges in decision making. It is recommended based on the findings that the Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the Municipal Director of education should ensure that the various challenges to participatory decision making are addressed in order to promote and sustain teachers’ participation in school decision making.