Teachers’ Extent of Personal Decision-Making for Classroom Control

Abstract

The purpose of this case study is to uncover teachers’ extent of personal involvement in decision-making in classroom control. Contextually, the private school prohibits teachers from punishing students physically for their misbehaviors. Additionally, parents as stakeholders were capable of suing the school from any malpractices of teachers in the private school. Thus, teachers were reported by the Head of Discipline (HOD) to frequently transferring discipline cases due to perceived risks in making wrong decisions. Qualitative methods were used in data collection that included purposive sampling, face-to-face in-depth interviews. Results indicated that the extent of personal involvement for teachers who transferred discipline problems to HOD was explained by a list of risks that threatened to their professional reputation. Within personal involvement however, teachers who seldom transfer discipline cases to HOD were able to; (a) gather evidence(s); (b) differentiate discipline problems; and (c) trace discipline problems to cause(s). The researcher concluded this research by highlighting the patterns that respondents portrayed in their personal decision-making that progresses from personal involvement, to collaboration and finally transfer as discipline problems deteriorate. This study suggests that teachers can be trained in the three aspects of personal involvement to further enhance their competency in personal decision-making under the organization’s contextual circumstances.