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Concerns of southeastern Massachusetts elementary school principals regarding implementation of participative decision making in their schools
Abstract
Participative decision making has been identified as a crucial aspect of current American public school restructure efforts. The calls for school improvement through collective decision making by the educational team (i.e., principals and teachers) have been frequently referred to as an effort toward teacher professionalization through empowerment. Given central office support, principals have been cited as playing a major role as potential change facilitators who can enable or sabotage meaningful participative decision making in their schools. Subsequent to being identified by their school superintendents as having initiated participative decision making in their schools, this study investigated a stratified random sample (based on the Massachusetts Department of Education "kind of community" descriptors) of seventy-three (73) southeastern Massachusetts elementary school principals. Their feelings (concerns) regarding participative decision making in their schools were examined using the central instrument from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (C-BAM): Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ). It also contained a comment section to allow for further clarification of feelings or concerns. Additionally, a customized demographic survey was included as two basic research questions were asked: (1) What are the perceived stages of concerns of a stratified random sample of southeastern Massachusetts elementary school principals who have initiated participative decision making within their schools? and (2) What are the relationships among these elementary school principals' selected demographic variables and intensity of concerns toward participative decision making in their schools? The SoCQ data analysis, noting relative intensity of concern, indicated the participants' highest intensity of concerns as follows: 53% in the "Awareness" stage; 16% in the "Personal" stage; 12% in the "Informational" stage; 8% in the "Management" stage; 11% in the "Consequence," "Collaboration," and "Refocusing" stages. Among conclusions from the data analysis, indications were that the majority of (mostly male) principals are non-users, or in a very early developmental stage. Further, number of years as principal at a school showed correlational significance. The theoretical underpinnings of change, concerns theory, and the practice of participative decision making are included in the review of the literature. Concluding chapters provide a review of methodology, data analysis presentation, summary, recommendations and conclusions, and further research ideas.
Subject Area
Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Randall, Susan M, "Concerns of southeastern Massachusetts elementary school principals regarding implementation of participative decision making in their schools" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9207448.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9207448