Teachers' perception of bureaucratic and personality factors inhibiting their participation in formulating secondary schools' operational decisions in Nairobi province

Abstract

This study set out to determine teachers' perception of bureaucratic and personality factors inhibiting their participation in formulating operational decisions in secondary schools in Nairobi province. The study also set out to establish whether there was a relationship between the factors perceived to inhibit participatory formulation of schools' operational decisions and selected demographic variables. These variables included age, sex, academic qualifications, professional grade, teaching experience and size of the school. Pertinent data was gathered using a questionnaire. The research design was ex-post facto. Assessment of the clarity of the instrument items was done using the results of the pilot study. The reliability of the instrument (questionnaire) was found to be 0.92, a value obtained after effecting correction using the Spearman's Brown Prophesy formulae (rxxl=2roel1+roe) on the Pearson's Correlation Coefficient value (0.84) obtained after piloting the instrument. The target population consisted of public secondary school teachers in Nairobi Province. There were 1030 female and 420 male public secondary school teachers in 45 public secondary schools in the province. Random sampling was used to select respondents from a population of the total 1450 teachers. The sample consisted of 306 teachers. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-tailed t-test were used to test hypotheses of the study at 0.05 level of significance. The following were the findings. 1. A statistically non-significant difference was found on teachers' age and their perception of the bureaucratic and personality factors to their involvement in formulating operational decisions of the school. 2. A statistically non-significant difference was found on male and female teachers' mean perception scores on both bureaucratic and personality attributes to their (teachers') participation in formulating school's operational decisions. 3. Significant differences were exhibited in teachers' perception of the structural (bureaucratic) and personality factors inhibiting group decision-making. 4. A statistically non-significant difference was found on teachers' administrative position and their perception of the bureaucratic and personality factors inhibiting their participation in formulating school operational decisions. 5. Significant differences were exhibited in teachers' professional experience and their perception of the bureaucratic and personality factors inhibiting participatory school decision-making. 6. A statistically significant difference was exhibited In mean perception scores of teachers teaching in schools of different sizes. The following recommendations were made: 1. Teachers should have longer teaching experience and pursue further studies if they are to participate optimumly in formulating operational decisions of the school. 2. Moreover, headteachers should recognize the importance of varying their management style according to school size. 3. The Education Act and Teachers Service Commission code of regulations should be ammended to relax the school bureaucratic structure and withdraw immense powers bestowed on the headteacher. 4. Teachers should attend seminars, workshops and courses on democratic governance, 5. Professional school headship should be practiced in order to minimize the adverse effects of school bureaucracy . 6. The 8-4-4 system of secondary school curriculum should be restructured to avail time for teachers' participation in school decision-making.