FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF AUTONOMOUS HIGH

SCHOOL IN BATAAN AND ITS RELATION TO EDUCATIONAL

BACKGROUND, SEMINARS AND TRAININGS ATTENDED
OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL

____________________

A Thesis
Presented to the
Faculty of the Graduate School
Bataan Peninsula State University
City of Balanga, Bataan

____________________

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Master in Business Administration

__________________

by:

JOANNE F. JAVIER
April 2019
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The Philippine’s Department of Education (DepEd), in its Financial Management

Operations Manual (FMOM) issued in 2016, clearly defined the Department’s

management structure covering all its Offices in the central, regions, divisions and schools.

The Manual further states that authority, responsibility and accountability are inherent to

those handling financial management.

DepEd also admitted that financial management at the school level is a challenging

process considering the lack of formal preparation of school heads, also known as

principals. Even the principals in autonomous high schools with their own finance staff,

such as disbursing officer and bookkeeper, face difficulty in acting as financial manager.

In the same Manual, DepEd defined what is School-Based Financial Management

(SBFM). SBFM refer to activities undertaken by a school head and his/her designated staff

who assist in the management of financial and relevant nonfinancial resources available to

the school. These activities include but are not limited to the following: (1) fiscal planning,

(2) budgeting, (3) cashiering and disbursement, (4) accounting and recording, (5)

procurement, (6) asset liability and management and; (7) physical and financial reporting.

Autonomous high school, formally called implementing unit (IU), is a secondary

school with a minimum required set of financial staff to enable the separation of functions
as provided by basic accounting principles of internal control. Recording of transactions is

separate from handling of cash and disbursements. An IU processes its own transactions,

maintains its own complete set of books of accounts and produces its own financial

statements and other relevant reports.

In terms of budget, IUs receive their allocations from the national budget directly

from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) regional office. As they also

receive funds from DepEd Central Office, they are also mandated to prepare financial

statements and relevant reports directly to government regulatory agencies such as the

DBM, Commission on Audit (CoA) and Department of Finance (DoF). For the purposes

of consolidation, they also need to submit these reports to the Schools Division Office

(SDO) of their respective province. Additional management reports for the purposes of

monitoring and evaluating school performance may also be required by their SDO.

Among the various departments in the Philippine government, DepEd is considered

the biggest bureaucracy. It also has one of the biggest budget allocations. With the

implementation of Governance of Basic Education Act (RA 9155), Basic Education Sector

Reform Agenda (BESRA) and The Schools First Initiative (SFI) of 2004, principals,

disbursing officers and bookkeepers of autonomous high schools are not only given greater

control over the education process but also financial responsibilities in their respective

schools. These include budget submission, allowable expenses, disbursements,

bookkeeping and expenditure reporting.

With decentralization and ever-growing bureaucracy, there is an unceasing demand

for good governance in delivering public services. The national government recently

implemented the Public Financial Management (PFM) Roadmap: Towards Improved

Accountability and Transparency. This initiative is to clarify, simplify, improve and

harmonize the government’s financial management processes and information systems.

In support of PFM, DepEd initiated the implementation of FMOM, orientation of

DepEd Management Staff at the Regional, Division and School Levels, creation of

Education Programs Delivery Unit, enhancement of the Automatic Payroll Deduction

System and creation of additional Bids and Awards Committee at the Central Office,

Regional and School Division Offices. Consistent improvement efforts of DepEd also gave

birth to the creation of Financial Management Reforms Committee (FMRC) in anticipation

of the Budget Reform Act. The latter as of this writing is still pending in the Philippine

Congress.

It is of paramount importance that DepEd employees with financial accountabilities

fully understand the financial management system of the Department. They should be able

to comply with administrative procedures, account for funds and prepare the required

financial reports.

In 2018, Schools Division of Bataan was given a total budget of PhP1,598,397,000.

Out of this provincial budget, 26% (PhP 565,589,000.00) was allocated to 18 autonomous

high schools. Each autonomous high school has its own principal, disbursing officer and

bookkeeper, all of whom have their respective financial accountabilities and should comply

with the national government and DepEd’s mandate (NEP, 2018).

On this aspect, the researcher would like to analyze the impact of educational

background, seminars and trainings attended and eligibility of principals, disbursing

officers and bookkeepers on select financial management policies of autonomous high

schools in Bataan.
Statement of the problem

The purpose of the study is to determine the financial management practices of autonomous

high school in Bataan and its relation to educational background, seminars and trainings

attended of personnel in-charged

It seeks to answer the following sub-problem

1. What is the profile of the respondents?
1.1 age;
1.2 sex, and;
1.3 Length of service?

2. What are the procurement chain and the process of disbursement of funds in
autonomous high school?

3. What is the major financial planning frame work in autonomous high schools?

4. How does the internal audit system work in the schools?

5. What are some of the challenges in financial management of the school?

6. Is there any significant relationship to the financial practices of autonomous high

school in Bataan in terms of?
a. Training and seminars attended on Financial Management policies
b. Eligibility on Financial Management policies
Significance of the Study

The Researcher aims to investigate the relationship between educational

background, training and eligibility and the competence of the principals, disbursing

officers and bookkeepers in performing their various financial responsibilities. Hence, this

study will benefit the following:

Schools Division Office of Bataan – The Division Office – They can have a better

understanding of competency gaps and skills training required by its personnel with
financial accountabilities. They can also see whether courses and trainings provided

previously really equipped the trainees in their respective financial roles.

Head of the autonomous schools – They will be more aware of the critical education,

training and eligibility factors affecting the performance of his/her finance team.

School Personnel – School personnel assigned in doing financial transactions such as

disbursing officers and bookkeepers will be able to identify key areas that they need to

enhance so they can perform their job better.

Future researchers – Hopefully, fellow and future researchers from other provinces, can

also do a similar study with a wider coverage and/or different government agency.

Scope and limitation

The study will use a questionnaire to identify the following variables as well as

checking their submitted profile on the Division Office filed in their personnel profile

which includes their updated Personal Data Sheet (PDS). The study will only cover the

period of 5 years, 2013 to 2017. The study is only limited to the eighteen (18) autonomous

high schools in Bataan which include: (1)Bataan School of Fisheries; (2)Balsik National

High School (NHS); (3)Bonifacio Camacho NHS; (4)JC Payumo Memorial High School;

(5)Hermosa NHS; (6)Limay NHS; (7)Luakan NHS; (8)Mariveles NHS – Cabcaben;

(9)Mariveles NHS – Poblacion; (10)Morong NHS; (11)Orani NHS; (12)Pablo Roman

NHS; (13)Pagalanggang NHS; (14)E.C. Bernabe NHS; (15)JE Gancayco NHS; (16)Samal

NHS; (17)Lamao NHS; (18)Magsaysay Integrated School.

 .

Notes in Chapter I

Barbara, G.K (2006), what is research design? The context of design? Performance studies
methods course syllabus. New York University, Spring.
Civil Service Commission Competency-Based Recruitment and Qualifications Standards.

(2014). Retrieved from http://www.csc.gov.ph/2014-02-21-08-16-56/2014-02-21-08-17-

24/2014-02-28-06-37-10 .html. Accessed on 22nd February 2019.
 CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents the relevant theories that support the study, related literature

and studies of previous findings, the paradigm and hypothesis of the study is also included

Relevant theories

With a good theoretical framework, there will be a clear understanding on the

relationship of educational background, training and eligibility of principals, disbursing

officers and bookkeepers, how they are likely to influence job performance and how the

influence differs according to professions.

Educational Background

All over the world, education is considered as a basic tool for overall social,

cultural, socio-political and economic development (Njeru and Orodho, 2005). Education

was defined during the 45th Session of International Conference on Education held in

Geneva (1996) as a person’s individual and social development that s/he gains in the

teaching and learning process in school.

Educational background of employees has an important role in human resources

management in almost every organization throughout the world (Barbara 2006).

Educational background requires a combination of original academic preparation, also

called degree completion, and subsequent activities that maintain or establish preparation

for organizational responsibilities, such as trainings and short courses (Quick 1997).

According to Ilgen and Pulakos (1999), a person’s educational background

increasingly determines job performance because it ensures that s/he has the basics in
learning. Better job performance is highly expected when a person has strong basic

information that allows him/her to work, innovate and communicate effectively in the

organization.

On the other hand, Cook (2008) stressed that employing people depending on their

formal academic qualifications can be one of the effective methods of ensuring increased

job performance but it doesn’t mean that the employee is already an expert and will perform

better at work. Some people have high academic grades but they lack practical skills and

experience. Nevertheless, many still agree that job performance is highly related to the

educational background of the employee (Green 2012).

Trainings

Principal’s training influences financial management to a very large extent and

there is a very strong relationship between financial management training and effectiveness

of financial management in secondary schools. Matula, Mulwa and Kyalo (2018)

emphasized that school principals should be trained on financial management so that they

can be effective in doing their fiscal duties. They need to attend regular capability

workshops and seminars to keep them updated on emerging issues.

Eligibility

The Philippine Civil Service Commission (CSC) oversees the eligibility of

government employees in various government positions. CSC is mandated to integrate

competencies in human resource systems of government agencies starting from

recruitment.
 Eligibility to apply for positions in the government service depends on the level of

Civil Service examination passed by the examinee. Passing Sub-Professional Eligibility

qualifies for first level positions such as clerical, trade and custodial positions which

require less than four years of college education. Passing Professional Eligibility qualifies

for second level positions such as professional, technical and scientific positions.

CSC has also rolled out the Competency-Based Recruitment and Qualifications

Standards (CBRQS) in recognition of the fact that hiring and retaining the best performing

employees will lay the foundation for developing high performing, competent and credible

civil servants.

CSC in its Competency Development Manual (2014) defined competencies as

observable, measurable and vital knowledge, skills and attitudes which are translations of

capabilities deemed essential for organizational success. In addition, competencies lead to

effective and efficient behavior that corresponds to delivery and achievement of desired

results.

Furthermore, CSC in its Qualification Standards defined the four factors required

and applicable to all positions in the government with equal weights and no specified

distribution and are anchored on legal mandates. These four factors are education,

experience, training and eligibility.

Review of Related Literature and Study

Literature

Mestry (2006:27) states that major changes in the nature of governance of schools

have been proposed and implemented in South Africa. As a result of new legislation, such
as the Schools Act, considerably more authority and responsibility for decision-making has

been devolved to the school level than was previously the case.

According to Campher, Du Preez, Grobler, Loock & Shaba (2003:36), the financial

management of a school must be organised if it is to be effective. An organisational

structure must be put into place if one does not already exist. It is also wise to re-educate

existing structures, particularly in the context of the many changes that have occurred in

the South African education system. A school must function within such an organisational

structure.

This implies that there must be an understanding of authority in the school as well

as a delegation of authority. The concept of authority goes hand in hand with the concept

of responsibility. Responsibility means that people will carry out given duties to the best

of their ability. Mestry (2006:28) asserts that the Schools Act prescribes how schools

should manage their funds. Guidelines for the SGB and the principals on their roles and

responsibilities in managing the finances of the school are also provided in the Schools

Act. According to Section 20 of this Act, the SGB must be involved in all the financial

functions of the school. The mandatory functions include policy issues such as adopting a

constitution, drafting a mission statement, drawing up policies such as an admission policy

and relevant to this study, also a financial policy.

According to Schreuder and Landley (2001:39), schools obtain finances from three

main sources: government funding, school fees and special fundraising campaigns.

Provincial education authorities divide funds according to the National Norms and

Standards for the funding of schools and each school‟s share is calculated on the basis of

the physical condition of the school, the relative poverty of the community (social
economic factor) and the relative poverty of the school. In calculating the allocation made

to a school, social-economic factors and the relative poverty of a school are each given a

weighting of 50%. The SGB is given full responsibility of managing these funds allocated

to the school, such as establishing school fees, preparing an annual budget, collecting and

administering school fees, keeping the financial records, appointing an accountant and

supplementing the school resources (Landley 2001:39).

A school is therefore part of a system. Financial school management is thus not

simply economics and accounting as applied to schools. It is a broad field of study that

touches on many disciplines as part of the education system. In order to understand and

apply school financial management, it is necessary to have an understanding of the school

context, basic accounting procedures, economic policies, the law relating to education and

schools, as well as management skills such as planning, reporting procedures and

leadership (Campher et al., 2003:2).

According to Dunn (2005:70), internal controls are an integral part of careful

financial management in every school setting. Internal controls provide a system of checks

and balances to detect financial errors and irregularities in a timely fashion. Most internal

controls are designed and used as measures to prevent mistakes from occurring or to correct

operational or recording errors. Financial accounting is an essential component of the

financial management of a school. A school needs to process, analyse and interpret

financial data and information in order to function effectively (Campher et al., 2003:2). On

the other hand, The issue of financial management in the senior high schools has been over-

looked by the stakeholders of the institutions. This is as a result of the fact that stakeholders

turn to be more interested in the academic performance of the schools at the expense of
their money which they have invested. The problems associated with financial

management in the education sector has caught the attention of government, non-

government organization, donors including educationalist not only in the delivery of

service to people of Ghana but also develop effective directional policies that would guide

the education sector in the medium and long term.

Financial management is carried out effectively and efficiently where sound

measures are put in place for facilitating cash receipts, controlling disbursement and

concentrating funds. Financial management is also carried to put measures in place to

prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. The most critical aspect of financial

management is the cash flows of the business, the business cycle of the company, where

cash is generated from and where it will be expended. In critical situations, cash flow

should be planned in extensive details in 12 weeks intervals. Specially, major sources of

funds should be identified and forecasted with as much accuracy as possible. This should

also take into consideration the exact timing of when the funds will be received or

disbursed.

There are several principles that guide financial management practice both in the

public and the private sector. For the purpose of this project, the researcher has reviewed

only a handful of these principles that are beneficial to the study. Financial management

brings together planning, budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, internal control

including internal audit, procurement, disbursement of funds and the physical performance

of the program, with the main aim of managing resources efficiently and achieving pre-

determined objectives. Sound financial management is therefore a critical input for

decision making and program success. Accurate and timely financial information provides
a basis for better decisions about physical progress of the program, availability of funds,

reducing delays and bottlenecks if noticed. The financial management system should

produce timely, relevant and reliable financial information that would allow program

managers and State/Central governments to plan and implement policies, programs, as well

as to monitor compliance with agreed procedures and appraise progress towards its

objectives.

Botha (2002) described education as a system of input-output. He explains that

schools also provide input in the form of material resources as well as human resources

which come together to deliver processes and activities. The processes and activities will

lead to certain outputs which should be in tandem with the educational objectives of the

school. The author therefore posits that with better and adequate resources, the educational

outcome is expected to be better. Though some studies such as Hanushek (1997) have

found no direct link between the performance of students and school resources, other

authors argue that effective education cannot take place without the necessary human and

material resources.

Thus it can be observed that resources are essential for the delivery of quality

education. Coleman et al. (1994) distinguishes between two main resources. These are

financial resources and real resources. Financial resource constitutes the money available

to procure real resources, while the latter constitutes the material and human resources

which are required for the delivery of efficient education to students. Because real

resources can only be procured with money resources, the management of finances

resources in schools is of primary important in delivery quality educational services to

students. This presupposes that, school heads, accountants and the state have the
responsibility of protecting the funds generated by the schools for learning purposes. This

implies that heads of schools, bursars, school accountants and departmental heads must be

abreast with the management of the school‟s funds in order to ensure that the funds are

used for the intended purposes

School heads, accountants and administrators are expected to perform the following

functions for the effective delivery of quality education (Van Deventer and Kruger 2005;

Nieman and Bennett 2002:101)

Implement the school financial policies and regulations. Manage the school

financial organisation, planning, leading and controlling of all educational activities in their

schools in order to achieve the school‟s objectives. Develop educational goals, policies

and strategies for the entire school from the broad, general strategies and policies of the

Education Department and to translate them into specific goals and action plans.

Related Studies

The study examined financial management practices of Senior High Schools (SHS)

in Techiman municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. A convenient sampling

technique was used to select the schools. Questionnaires and interview were used to collect

data for the study. Two respondents from each of the three senior high schools were

selected for the purposes of obtaining relevant information for the study. Descriptive

statistics was used to analyse the responses obtained from the respondents. The findings of

the study revealed that the procurement system of the schools is regulated by procurement

board which is mandated to ensure that the procurement of goods and services within the

schools follow laid down procedure. The study further found that the budgets of the schools

represent the main financial planning framework around which incomes and expenditures
are managed. The findings however revealed the major challenges confronting the effective

financial management of the schools include late disbursement of funds by the central

government and lack of financial management skill by headmasters to effectively manage

the schools‟ finances. The study recommends among others that, school heads should be

equipped with basic financial skills to enhance their capacity to effectively manage the

finances of the schools they manage. Similarly, another study of TLALE ESSAU

MPOLOKENG 2011, provided to schools by the government, as well as the essences of

financial management in the school setting. The study also sought to scrutinize the impact

of related Acts and policies on financial management in schools. The fieldwork sought to

determine the extent of possible problems that schools experience regarding financial

management and aimed at providing possible solutions for efficient and effective financial

management in schools.

Principals and SGBs chairpersons made up the sample of this study. Questionnaires

were used to determine the views and opinions of these participants regarding the

efficiency and effectiveness of financial management in their schools. The data gathered

through the open-ended questionnaires were analysed and reported on qualitatively.

The key findings were that principals and the SGBs chairpersons wish to play an

important role in financial management in schools, but lack financial management skills to

do so. The lack of financial management skills was more evident on the side of the SGB

chairpersons. The result of this lack of financial management skills has the effect that other

types of financial problems arise at schools. Both study revealed that the school’s principal

disbursement officer and procurement have a vital role in the success of financial

management of schools.
Conceptual Framework

Using the previously discussed theoretical framework, this paper seeks to identify the

impact of educational background, seminars and trainings attended and eligibility of

principals, disbursing officers and bookkeepers on select financial management policies of

autonomous high schools in Bataan. Figure 1-1 illustrates the model used in this study.

Figure 1.1 Schematic Diagram of the Study

Hypotheses

Based on the theoretical framework, the following hypotheses are developed:

Impact of educational background on select Financial Management policies

Ho1: Educational background of school personnel has no significant impact on select

Financial Management policies.
Ha1: Educational background of school personnel has significant impact on select
Financial Management policies.

Impact of trainings and seminars on select Financial Management policies

Ho2: Trainings and seminars attended of school personnel has no significant impact on
select Financial Management policies.
Ha2: Trainings and seminars attended of school personnel has significant impact on
select Financial Management policies.

Impact of eligibility on select Financial Management policies

Ho3: Eligibility of school personnel has no significant impact on select Financial

Management policies.
Ha3: Eligibility of school personnel has significant impact on select Financial
Management policies.
Definition of Terms
The following define operationally
Management—a strategy that applies by the school personnel of how to spend their budget
annually
Autonomous—a school (particularly on the big and mega size which population is above
1000+) that has its own budget and not really rely on the DepEd. It terms of buying
procurement for approval
Educational Background—pertaining to the qualification of personnel in-charged in this
study it is related to profile of the study
Training—this are the seminars that attended by the personnel-in charged on how to
enhance of their skills in financial management
 Notes in Chapter II

Cook, S. (2008). The essential guide to employee engagement: Better business

performance

through staff satisfaction. London: Kogan Page.

Department of Education (2016). Finance Management Operations Manual.

Green, T. B. (1992). Performance and motivation strategies for today's workforce: A guide
to

expectancy theory applications. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books.

Ilgen, D. R., & Pulakos, E. D. (1999). The changing nature of performance: Implications
for

staffing, motivation, and development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Orodho, A. J., (2005). Essentials of educational and Social Sciences Research Method.
Nairobi:

Masola Publishers.

Quick J. C. (1997). Preventative stress management in organization. American

Psychological

Association, pp. 3-4.

Phylisters, M., Mulwa, A. S., & Kyalo, D. N. (2018). Financial Management for Effective

Schools: Bridging Theory and Practice through Competency Development among

Secondary School Principals in Kitui County, Kenya. International Journal of

Education and Research Vol. 6 No. 11 November 2018. Available online at
http://www.ijern.com /journal/2018/November-2018/01.pdf. Accessed on 22nd
February 2019.
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods and procedures that were applied in this study.

It was organized under the following subheadings: Research Methodology, Respondents

of the Study, Sample and Sampling Technique, Research Instrument, Administration and

Retrieval and Statistical Treatment of Data.

Research Methodology used

This study is a descriptive method of gathering information about the present

information about the present existing conditions. It involves collection of data in order to

test hypotheses or to answer questions concerning the current status of the variables of the

study and determine and report the things are.

The main aim of using descriptive method is to find out what is so observational by

describing the nature of the situation as it exists in the time of the study and to explore the

cause of the particular phenomena through survey methods which are frequently used to

collect descriptive data. Santiago, (2010)

In this particular study Impact of educational background, trainings

and eligibility of School personnel on select financial management policies in public

secondary schools and to analyze the impact of educational background, seminars and

trainings attended and eligibility of principals, disbursing officers and bookkeepers on

select financial management policies of autonomous high schools in Bataan

Population and Sampling Design

Bauer and Gaskell (2000:361) define population as the complete collection of items or

persons who are the target of the research. Population is a statistical term that refers to the

collection of persons, groups, events or things that the research will focus on. The

population of this study include disbursement officers from secondary schools in the

District of Bataan. The rationale for choosing these participants is related to the states that

the management of school finances is a functions as autonomous of which the school has

its own allotted budget. Moreover, a sampling method is necessary for all research studies.

This study employs the purposive sampling method, which is discussed in the next sub-

section.

According to Cresswell (2005:596), purposive sampling is a sampling procedure in

which researchers intentionally select individuals and sites to learn and understand the

central phenomenon. White (2003:65) mentions that purposive sampling is based entirely

on the judgement of the researcher, in that a sample is composed of elements which contain

the most characteristics or representative of attributes of the population. Burke and Larry

(2004:215) assert that in purposive sampling the researcher specifies the characteristics of

a population of interest and then tries to locate individuals who have those characteristics.

According to Kruger and Mitchell (2006:69), purposive sampling is the most important

type of non-probability sampling. In purposive sampling researchers rely on their

experience or previous research findings to deliberately obtain units of analysis in such a

manner that the sample they obtain may be regarded as being representative of the relevant

population. Kumar (2005:179) mention that the primary consideration in purposive

sampling is the judgement of the researcher as to who can provide the best information to
achieve the objectives of the study. The researcher selects those people who in his or her

opinion are likely to have the required information and be willing to share it. The decision

on sample size in studies was mentioned earlier. The sample for this study comprises of all

autonomous school in Bataan.

Research Instruments

Both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data consist of interview and

questionnaire while secondary data were field observation, library research and

examination of documents

Interviews

Face to face interaction with a cross-section of the target population, the researcher was

able to obtain data from the target population, since some of the staff could not get enough

time to answer questionnaires on paper.

Questionnaires

As part of data collection procedures, structured questionnaires were administered

personally by the researcher to ensure that relevant information was obtained. Open

questions required in-depth explanation from the respondents while closed questions were

analyse using the following scales: Strongly agree =4 strongly Agree =3 Agree =2

Disagree=1 Strongly

Field Observation
In order to get more knowledge into financial management at the school, frequent visit

were made to the school and data was recorded frequently. The researcher was able to

obtain information on what actually happened on the field.

Library Research

References were also made from major text books and various existing project works. The

researcher borrowed some knowledge from what intellectuals have failed to add.

Examination of Documents

To obtain the best information of financial management in the Senior High School, the

researcher had the chance to study some documents containing financial reports, budget

statement, receipts and other important books of account.

Validation of Research Questionnaire

Reliability is the extent to which a test or instrument would produce similar

measurements, given similar conditions while validity is the extent to which a test, scale

or instrument measures what is intended to measure or assess (Ofori & Dampson, 2011).

The interview guide and the questionnaire were rehearsed first and pre-tested with

colleagues and friends to correct spelling and grammatical mistakes, check for question

wording and eliminate ambiguities. Again, the people from whom data were collected

represented true members. From the personal observation of the researcher, it could be

conveniently said that the data for the study is valid and hence reliable for any future work

on financial management in second cycle institutions.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The results of the performance tests were tabulated, analyzed and constructed in

appropriate tables.

The following descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data:

1. Frequency Count and Percentage were used to classify respondents according to

their population per section.

P= (f/n) x 100%

Where:

P= percentage

F= frequency

N= number of cases

2. Mean

M= X/N

Where:

X= summation of scores

N= total number of students

To interpret the result on the exposure in Social Media the scale below was used:

Assigned Weight Score Descriptive

Rating
4 2.6 – 4.00 Very Effective

3 1.7 – 2.5 Effective

2 .9 – 1.6 Not Effective

 1 0 – 0.8 Very not Effective

In addition, the statistical tool was used to test the significance of variable and the

null hypothesis. The pearson r, coefficient correlation numerically describes the

relationship between two variables and show ranking using the first variable. It also

utilized to measure the degree or strength of correlation between two or more interval data.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher asked the permission of the School Division Superintendent asking

for approval and permission to conduct research study in the division of Bataan after

securing the approval the researcher will also sent a letter of request to the Dean’s office

of BPSU and to the different principal of autonomous school informing for the conduct of

research study to the disbarment officer of schools.

The researcher will go to the different school seeking for the respondents to answer the

provided questionnaire also the researcher will use three types of data collection; one-to-

one interviews, focus group interviews and documents analysis. Interviews will assist the

researcher in understanding the perceptions the interviewees have on management of funds

in schools. Focus group interviews will assist the researcher in corroborating ideas

expressed in one-to-one interviews in a sense that the respondents will be given a chance

to agree and disagree on how funds are managed at schools whilst the researcher will be

facilitating the discussion. Invitation to meetings and agendas, minutes of meetings and

financial records are the documents that will be analyzed in this study. These data

collection tools will be explored in details in the next section. The researcher believes that

using these methods will help eliminate the element of bias in the study

Ethical Consideration

In the view of Zikmund (2000) ethics in business research involves the code of behaviour

governing the conduct of the researcher‟s activities. A number of steps were taken by the researcher

to ensure that proper ethical conduct is followed throughout the study. First, the researcher ensured

that there is informed consent and voluntary participation. Confirmation was sought from the

schools involved as well as the respondents who provided the required data. A letter was sent to

seek permission to undertake the study Second, the researcher ensured that the privacy,

confidentiality and anonymity of respondents were respected. All respondents were assured that

the information provided will be kept private and will only be used for academic purposes. The

research results were indeed presented in an anonymous way and no participant or school is

therefore identifiable from this report Finally, the researcher tried as much as possible to remain

honest, respectful and sympathetic towards all the participants

 Notes in Chapter III

Fraenkel, Jack R, Wallen, Norman E. (2000) How to design and evaluate research

in (7th Education Edition 2008), New York, USA, McGraw-Hill)

 The Questionnaire

Name(Optional)_____________________________ age:__________________
Sex:______________________Educational Background:_____________________
Length in service:_____________________

This questionnaire is intended to solicit information on the Topic “Financial Management

in Senior High Schools‟‟. The research is purely meant for academic purpose and it is

being conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Master of

Business Administration (MBA) . The researcher assures all respondents that the answers

provided would be treated as confidential and anonymous.

INSTRUCTIONS: Please tick where applicable and supply details where required.

SECTION A: MAJOR SOURCES OF INCOME RECEIVED

1. Could you please outline the major sources of funds available to the school?

…………………………………………………………………………………

2. Do you receive these funds in time? Yes ( ) No ( )

3. (A) Does the school have any problem in the collection of school fees from

students/parents? Yes ( ) No ( ) (B)

If yes, what measures has the school put in place to reduce the possibility of defaults in

the payment of school fees?

SECTION B: FINANCIAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK

1. What are the major financial planning frameworks in your school?

i. ____________________________________________________________________

ii. ____________________________________________________________________

iii ____________________________________________________________________
SECTION C: CHECKS AND BALANCES The following are financial forms of

financial checks and balances; please rate by circling or underlining according to their

effectiveness in your institution. 1 – Not at all Effective (NAE) 2 – Not Effective (NE) 3)

Effective (E) 4 – Very Effective (VE)

ITEMS 4 3 2 1
1. Proper accounting records on cash received
2. Regular deposit of cash received
3. Periodic account reconciliation with student records
4. Records on all disbursements
5. Periodic account reconciliation with the bank
statement
6. Daily statement from bank on students payments
7. Accounts department is in charge of all monetary
transactions
8. There is an effective and efficient finance committee
9. There is proper technology (ICT) for processing all
records
10. All department budgets are properly scrutinized
11. All purchases are done by the procurement unit and
documented
12. The school opens all contracts for bidding
13. Government grants are well channeled
Grand Mean

SECTION D: ACCOUNT AUDITING

1. How often are the accounts audited?
a. Quarterly ( ) b. Six months ( )
c. Yearly ( ) d. Occasionally
e. Other ( )
2. Who audits the accounts?
a. Internal auditors ( ) b. District auditors ( )
c. Regional Auditors( ) d. National auditors ( )
e. Other ( )

3. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following by circling or underlining.
1 – Not at all Effective (NAE) 2 –Effective (NE) 3) Effective (E) 4 – Very Effective

ITEMS 4 3 2 1
Auditors normally check for documents
Auditors always check for physical verification
 Auditors always cross check with major suppliers
Staff payments/remunerations are always audited
Auditors work is in-depth enough
Auditors work is in-depth enough
Auditors recommendations are implemented
Auditors make follow up checks
Auditors are normally motivated/influenced by account
section
Auditors‟ motivation influences their independency
Auditors are easily influenced by money
I will prefer independent/private audit firms to
governments
Auditing must be done by two or more firms for checks
GRAND MEAN

SECTION E: BUDGET AND EXPENDITURE

4. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following by circling or underlining.
1 – Not at all Effective (NAE) 2 –Effective (NE) 3) Effective (E) 4 – Very Effective

Items 4 3 2 1
The school has effective budget committee
The budget officer/committee is independent enough
The school has enough funds to support the budget
There are other means to internally generate funds
Projects outside the budget are sometimes considered
Spending outside budget affects other projects
Purchase follows the right procurement procedure
There is an effective procurement committee
There is a high independency of procurement committee
The procurement officer/committee influences bidding
process

2 How often are budgets prepared?

a. Monthly ( ) b. Quarterly ( )
c. Yearly ( ) d. When necessary ( )
e. Other ( )
SECTION F: PROCUREMENT
1. (a) Do you have a procurement board Yes ( ) No ( )
(b) If “Yes” what are its functions.
i____________________________________________________________________
ii.___________________________________________________________________
iii.__________________________________________________________________
2. How does the procurement chain in the school work?
i____________________________________________________________________
ii.___________________________________________________________________
iii.__________________________________________________________________
 3. How are the funds disbursed for procurement purposes?
i____________________________________________________________________
ii.___________________________________________________________________
iii.__________________________________________________________________
SECTION G: ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

i____________________________________________________________________
ii.___________________________________________________________________
iii.__________________________________________________________________
INTERVIEW GUIDE

Section A. Procurement procedure and Disbursement of Funds

1. Who is responsible for the procurement of goods and services within the
school?

………………………………………………………………………………………

2. How is the procurement activities undertaken within the school?

………………………………………………………………………………………

3. In your opinion, does it follow laid down procedure?

4. In your answer to question 3 is no, why do you think so?

………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Who is responsible for the disbursement of funds for school activities?

………………………………………………………………………………………

Section B: Financial management Framework

6. Please describe the financial planning framework of the school

………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Do you believe the current financial planning framework is yielding the desired
result?

Please explain your answer

………………………………………………………………………………………
Section C: Challenges Associated with Financial management within the school

8. Please indicate the major challenges confronting the financial management

system of the school

………………………………………………………………………………………

9. In what ways are these challenges affecting the smooth management of the
school‟s finances?

………………………………………………………………………………………

10. Please describe the measures being taken by the school to deal with the
challenges enumerated above