The relationship between the extent of participation in decision-making at home and in school and certain psychosocial aspects in the lives of college faculty members in the four universities in Iloilo City

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the extent of participation in decision making at home and in school and four psychosocial aspects in teachers' lives; namely, esteem (self), satisfaction with home and school conditions, motivation to work and to cooperate in home and school activities, and esteem (others). In determining the relationship between the focal variables, the following were controlled separately and simultaneously: sex, marital status, educational attainment, length of teaching experience, and monthly family income. The study involved two-hundred fifty full-time college faculty members proportionately allocated to the four universities in Iloilo City; namely, University of Iloilo, University of San Agustin, Central Philippine University, and West Visayas State University. The sample respondents were drawn using systematic sampling with a random start. The main instrument used in this study was a 52- item self-administered questionnaire about certain personal attitudes, tendencies, and feelings manifesting the four psychosocial aspects in the lives of teachers. For statistical tools, percentages and means were used to draw a profile of the respondents and in describing their psychosocial state. In ascertaining the degree of correlation between the focal variables, the Pearson r was used.

The results of the questionnaire on the four psychosocial aspects revealed that the majority of the respondents had "high" esteem (self), "high" satisfaction with home and school conditions, "high" motivation to work and cooperate in home and school activities, and "high" esteem (others). The data used to show the extent of participation in decision-making both at home and in school were results of the study of David which, incidentally, involved the same respondents as those in the investigator's own study. David's findings showed that the teachers' extent of participation in the four major decision areas at home; namely, household management, children's education and discipline, reproductive and health care, and religion was "moderate. According to David's study, the teachers' extent of participation in three out of four major decision-areas in school; namely, formulation of policies and guidelines, curriculum and development, and evaluation was “low." The fourth major decision area in school was instruction, the realm in which teacher participation was reported to be "moderate" in regard to instructional methods, subject content, and choice of textbooks. However, teacher participation in decision-making in regard to teachers' loads and class schedules was "low."

When the correlation between the four psychosocial aspects and participation in decision-making at home was analyzed, the correlation analyses showed that esteem (self) and esteem (others) were not significantly 2 correlated with decision-making participation in any of the four sub-areas of household management; namely, food buying and preparation, buying household furnishing, getting household help, and buying and selling property. Satisfaction was not significantly influenced by DMP in the three sub-areas except in buying household furnishing. Motivation was related significantly with DMP in food buying and preparation, in buying furnishing, and in getting household help, but not in buying or selling property. Satisfaction was significantly related with DMP in choice of course to take and in child discipline, while esteem (others) was found to be significantly correlated with DMP in choice of school and child discipline.

In the decision area of reproductive and health care, esteem (self) was significantly related with DMP in sexual activity, satisfaction with DMP in sexual activity, family planning method, and family health care only when marital status was controlled. Motivation was enhanced by DMP in sexual activity, family health care, and family planning method. Esteem (others) was influenced by DMP regarding number of children, sexual activity, family health care, and family planning method. DMP in family planning practice was not correlated with any of the four psychosocial aspects included in this study. Satisfaction and esteem (others), but not esteem (self) and motivation, were significantly related with DMP in regard to religion. When the correlation between the four psychosocial aspects in teachers' lives and DMP in decision areas in school was analyzed, it revealed that DMP in formulation of policies and guidelines was not correlated significantly with any of the four psychosocial aspects. In the decision area of curriculum and development, esteem (self) was not influenced significantly by DMP in any of the four sub-areas: namely, curriculum planning, development of school goals and objectives, in-service training, and co-curricular activities. Satisfaction and motivation were influenced by DMP in co-curricular activities, while esteem (others) by development of school goals and objectives, in-service training, and curricular activities. Esteem (self) had no significant correlation with DMP in the two sub-areas of evaluation which are evaluation of the school program and faculty member evaluation. Satisfaction was significantly correlated with DMP in school program evaluation, while motivation and esteem (others) with DMP in both sub-areas of evaluation. In the area of instruction, which is the realm in which teachers are mostly involved, esteem (self) was not influenced significantly by DMP in any of its five subareas; namely, instructional methods, subject content, choice of textbooks, teachers' loads, and scheduling of subjects. Satisfaction, however, was enhanced by DMP in subject content and scheduling of subjects. Participation in DM in regard to instructional methods enhanced motivation when sex, marital status, and monthly family income were controlled. Esteem (others) was increased by extent of participation in DM in subject content, instructional methods, choice of textbooks, and scheduling of subjects. DMP in teachers' loads did not have any bearing on the four psychosocial aspects. In the light of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn regarding the correlation between participation in decision-making at home and the four psychosocial aspects in teachers' lives: 1. Of the four psychosocial aspects in the lives of teachers, it is esteem (self) that is least enhanced by participation in decision-making at home. Of the many decision-making areas and sub-areas at home, it is only participation in DM in whether or not to engage in sexual activity that enhanced self-esteem. Ability to decide on one's sexual activity or activities does improve and increase one's self-esteem. 2. More satisfaction is derived from home conditions when extent of participation in decision-making is increased in regard to whether or not to buy household furnishing, the choice of children's course in college, child discipline, and choice of religion. 3. The extent of participation in decision-making in regard to what food to buy and prepare, whether or not to buy household furnishing, whether or not to engage in sexual activity, family health care, and the choice of family planning method to use tends to enhance teachers' motivation to work and cooperate in home activities. 4. Esteem (others) was improved when teachers participate in decision-making in regard to choice of school for their children, child discipline, number of children to have, sexual activity, family health care, family planning method to use, and choice of religion.

The following conclusions were drawn regarding the correlation between participation in decision-making in school and the four psychosocial aspects in teachers' lives: 1. Decision-making participation in school in any of the four major decision areas has no bearing on teachers' self- esteem. 2. Teachers' satisfaction with school conditions is enhanced when teachers involve themselves in decisions regarding co-curricular activities, school program evaluation, subject content, and scheduling of subjects. 3. When teachers are involved in decisions regarding co-curricular activities, school program evaluation and evaluation of faculty members, they are more motivated to work and cooperate in school activities. 4. Esteem (others) is influenced by teachers' extent of participation in decisions regarding development of school goals and objectives, in-service training, co-curricular activities, school program evaluation, teacher evaluation, subject content, instructional methods, choice of textbooks, and scheduling of subjects.

All these significant relationships mentioned above were found to be positive. However, not all of the four psychosocial aspects in teachers' lives; namely, esteem (self), satisfaction with home and school conditions, motivation to work and cooperate in home and school activities, and esteem (others) were found to be related and enhanced by participation in decision-making at home and in school. In the light of the above conclusions, the researcher would like to recommend that schools redesign managerial structures to integrate teachers more fully into school decision-making processes. The specific recommendations are the following: 1. The findings regarding the decision areas in which there were pronounced relationships between the focal variables in this study should be presented to the faculty members and department and school heads for discussion so that these can be considered in the assignment of decision-making tasks. 2. Teachers should also be involved in the development of goals and objectives of the school program and in the planning and supervision of in-service training. This task should not be relegated only to those in the administrative staff since the findings show that teachers' esteem (others) was enhanced by their involvement in these decision-making areas.

3. Because participation in decision-making in regard to co-curricular activities was found to enhance three psychosocial aspects in teachers' lives; namely, satisfaction with school conditions, motivation to work and to cooperate in school activities, and esteem (others), administrators should enjoin teachers to participate in school activities of their own choice, including co-curricular committees. 4. More teachers should be encouraged to participate in decision-making in the area of evaluation of the school program and faculty members because as the findings reveal, DMP in these two areas improved motivation to work and to cooperate in school activities and esteem (others). Administrators can schedule evaluation of the school program and faculty members at the end of every semester or at the end of the school year to include evaluation of matters like enrollment procedure, curriculum offerings, research, co-curricular activities, cultural programs, student council and other clubs and organizations, administration, faculty, staff, and student performance, the honors program, guidance and counseling, extension work and reach-out activities, and many other vital and relevant aspects of the university. 5. If satisfaction with school conditions is to increased, teachers should first be consulted so that, whenever possible, without bringing about difficulties to students and other teachers, a work schedule convenient and comfortable for them can be planned. Although no one can be entirely satisfied in this respect, at least, the fact that their convenience and needs had been considered generates a feeling of being part of the school plan and machinery. 6. The data also show that decision-making in regard to instructional methods motivates teachers to work and cooperate in school activities and likewise promotes a high esteem (others). Teachers' exercise of their creativity in regard to teaching methods should not be stifled by regimentation. These “creative" strategies should be evaluated from time to time to make sure that they do enhance the teaching-learning process. 7. Teachers should be given leeway in preparing their subject content as long as they stay within the prescribed requirements of the course. Administrators should require teachers to prepare their own syllabi or modify existing ones to suit them to the needs of a particular locality and group of students, update these regularly to include new trends and knowledge in the field, and to discourage them from following in to a required syllabus not of their own making. 8. It is likewise recommended that teachers be consulted regarding textbooks to be used particularly in the subjects they are teaching and library acquisitions related to the subjects they are handling, preferably before the school year closes, in time for the opening of classes.

In the home front, the following recommendations are given: 1. Husbands and wives should be made aware through seminars and the mass media of the psychosocial needs of their spouses. 2. In the area of reproductive health, both spouses should be empowered to enjoy their reproductive rights especially in deciding when to engage in sexual activity or in deciding what family planning method to use, for the findings reveal that motivation to work and to cooperate in home activities and esteem (others) are enhanced by DMP in these two areas, besides an enhancement in self-esteem when participation in decision-making is done in regard to sexual activities. 3. Decision-making in regard to whether or not to buy household furnishing must be a joint venture of both husband and wife if satisfaction with home conditions and motivation to work and to cooperate in home activities are to be enhanced. The couple must participate in the decision of whether or not to hire household help and in food buying and preparation if motivation to work and to cooperate in home activities is to be improved. 4. To enhance satisfaction with home conditions and improve esteem (others), it is recommended that the couple must share in decisions regarding child discipline and the choice of religion. 5. To enhance esteem (others), it is recommended that couples should decide together the number of children they would like to have, the choice of school or schools for their children, and matters relating to family health care. It is also recommended that a similar study be conducted in all levels of the educational ladder with the inclusion of observations and focus group discussions as research tools, and other psychosocial aspects relevant to teachers' lives besides the four included in this particular study.