Shared Decision Making Survey of Teachers in the School Districts of Selected

Municipalities of Masbate
Bernard M. Barruga
Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology
(DEBESMSCAT)
Mandaon, Masbate, Philippines
Research Stream: Culture, Arts and Public Governance Studies
Abstract
This study aims to understand how the principles of shared governance and the process of
democratic consultation in decision-making provided under RA 9155 are observed in the school
district level. Specifically, it sought to determine: the extent of actual participation of teachers in
the various situations in which decision making in the school district is involved; the extent to
which the teachers in the school district would like to participate in the decision-making process
in the school district; the existence of a significant difference in their perceptions regarding their
actual participation as opposed to their desire to participate; and the procedures which allow for
the involvement of teachers in shared decision making. Measures of central tendency, frequency
counts, percentages, Pearson correlation and t-tests were performed to analyze and interpret the
data gathered using a survey questionnaire-checklist. The findings indicate that in all ten
decision-making situations, the teacher-respondents reported a higher degree of desire to
participate compared to their perceived actual participation. In six of the ten situations (hiring
faculty members, selecting new textbooks, setting or revising school goals, determining faculty
evaluation procedures, determining staff development programs, and determining grading
policies), the stated desire to participate was significantly higher than their perceived actual
participation. The four situations in which the difference was not significant are: determining
faculty assignments; determining classroom discipline policies; determining faculty schedules;
and determining budget priorities. The decision deprivation in the six situations may mean that
the aims of RA 9155 on shared governance and ideal school-based management have not yet
been halfway realized in the school districts surveyed. The most frequent reported procedures for
shared decision-making involvement are: no involvement for hiring faculty members; and formal
committees organized as the need arises for each of the other nine situations. Shared governance
in the school districts surveyed has not yet attained an ideal level.
Keywords: decision-making, school-based management, shared governance