Using DEA to Evaluate the Efficiency of Public High Schools for STEM Offering

Abstract

The study examines the readiness of public senior high school for STEM track offering using Data Envelopment Analysis [DEA]. Efficiency of the schools were determined using input data such as student population, number of science teachers, teaching experience, educational qualification, number of classrooms, class size, teacher educational qualification, teaching experience, student-teacher ratio, science laboratory facilities, ICT laboratory, drop-out rate and budget for the school’s operation and output data used was number of graduates. A total of 60 senior high schools were considered in the study and their school heads or principals and science teachers served as respondents. Findings indicated that a good number of public senior high schools are efficient based on the availability of science laboratory. Recommendations on how to improve less efficient schools are reflected in this paper. A program to motivate science teachers to pursue graduate studies in science and mathematics is recommended to be institutionalized as well as budget to provide adequate laboratory facilities may be provided to make the STEM strand offering a reality.