Participative Decision Making for Teachers—Placebo or Panacea?

Abstract

Any reader who delves into the literature on decision making in schools soon discovers that informed opinion and the research evidence, as it is interpreted, weigh heavily in favour of teacher participation, due regard having been paid to a number of practical problems in its successful implementation. The findings reported in this paper challenge the easy assumption that feelings of satisfaction experienced as a result of decision making involvement lead to increased satisfaction with teaching as a chosen career. The challenge is mounted on two fronts. First, introduction of the concept of Professional Satisfaction (i.e., the state of satisfaction which results from gratification of the need of or want for professional autonomy) enables a number of relationships to be examined in a new light. Second, since structures alone do not guarantee satisfying levels of participation in decision making, interpersonal considerations also need to be taken into account. Hence, the variable, Rapport with the Principal, is woven into the study, the data for which were provided by a Canadian sample of 213 first and second year teachers.