Level of Students Involvement in Decision Making and Organizational Effectiveness of Secondary School in Chepalungu Sub-County, Bomet

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the level of students’ involvement in decision making and organizational effectiveness of secondary schools in Chepalungu sub-county, Bomet. The study employed a descriptive survey design targeting student leaders and school principals in the 64 registered secondary schools. Quantitative and qualitative approach using questionnaires for the student leaders and interview schedule for the principals were used to collect data. Targeted schools were stratified into school types (boys only, girls only and mixed schools) then randomly selected to form a sample of 22 schools. Twenty two principals and 220 student leaders from the 22 schools participated in the study. Data collected was coded and entered into an SPSS programme for analysis in which descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means, percentages and analysis of variance (ANOVA) generated which was used to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables of the study at 0.05 level of significance. The results of the study established that students in girls school were more involved in decision making indicating a mean of 4 (agree) in a rating scale of 1 to 5 compared to boys and mixed schools with a mean of 3 (undecided) as per the principals response. Students’ respondents are involved in classroom decisions making as indicated by 93.2%. Involvement of student council in decision making has improved school organizational effectiveness as indicated by 63.6% of the principals who were in agreement that it had improved retention and time management. The study recommended that there was need to expand participation of students’ council in decision making to include administrative and curriculum issues and democratic elections be practiced to enable students feel part and parcel of the school.

Keywords: Involvement, Decision making and Effectiveness