Teachers’ understanding about education decision-making processes at the macro, meso and micro levels

Abstract

Recent changes in the Estonian education system have been altered in concordance with changes in the socio-cultural context and decision-making processes at the macro, meso and micro levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ opinions regarding the education system and its regulations on different decision-making processes at different levels. Forty-five primary school teachers from 28 Estonian schools participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were carried out, and thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Teachers expressed more negative feelings about not being included in the processes made at the macro level. At the meso level, the teachers were familiar with decisions supporting their professional development. Teachers also mentioned that they should be more recognised in the processes made at the micro level. Teachers need to be more involved in the decision-making processes and in school management to feel that their work is valued. Keywords: Educational system, decision-making processes, primary school teacher, interview