Home Elements for a Diagnosis of the Spanish Educational System
4 - School functioning (continued)


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Participation in the schools


AREAS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE SCHOOL

Fourteen questions on the questionnaire are aimed at ascertaining two aspects of participation, one as to the real way in which participation takes place in the diverse aspects of the functioning of the school and the other, the way in which it is understood to be desirable. Five options are presented for each one of the fourteen aspects queried: that of not being informed of the decisions, being informed after the decisions are taken, being consulted prior to the decisions, taking part in group decision making and personal decision making; when decisions are not made in the area or aspect queried, a sixth response option must be available.

The averages of real participation in each one of the fourteen aspects of the school asked about range (on a scale from 1 to 5) from 2.62 for participation in training and improvement of the teaching staff at the school, to 3.23 for participation as to severe discipline problems among the students. The global average of the fourteen variables of real participation is 2.98. It could be considered as a participation located at the centre of the scale matching the option "I am consulted before decisions are made". The second column of Table 5 shows how the areas are organised according to the averages of real participation expressed.



Table 5. Participation in the areas of life at a school
  Real
participation
Desirable
participation
Difference Significance
level
Correlation
Teacher training 2,62 (14) 3,28 (14) - 0,66 (1) **** 0,632 (7)
Educational quality evaluation 2,98 (9) 3,52 (4) - 0,54 (2) **** 0,557 (14)
Solution of student suggestions 2,99 (8) 3,50 (7) - 0,51 (3) **** 0,558 (13)
Organisational aspects 3,02 (6) 3,51 (5) - 0,49 (4) **** 0,560 (12)
Collaboration by parents 2,82 (13) 3,31 (12) - 0,49 (5) **** 0,656 (4)
Informative, training activities, etc. with parents 2,92 (10) 3,40 (10) - 0,48 (6) **** 0,627 (8)
Creation of workgroups 3,00 (7) 3,45 (9) - 0,45 (7) **** 0,669 (2)
Use of space and resources 3,05 (5) 3,50 (6) - 0,45 (8) **** 0,619 (9)
Annual budget 2,87 (12) 3,32 (11) -0,45 (9) **** 0,668 (3)
Complementary activities 3,06 (4) 3,49 (8) -0,43 (10) **** 0,604 (10)
Student evaluation 2,88 (11) 3,30 (13) -0,42 (11) **** 0,723 (1)
School educational project 3,18 (2) 3,58 (2) -0,40 (12) **** 0,580 (11)
Improvement projects 3,14 (3) 3,54 (3) -0,40 (13) **** 0,650 (5)
Disciplinary problems 3,23 (1) 3,58 (1) -0,35 (14) **** 0,643 (6)

**** Significant differences at 1o/oo


The averages of desirable participation in each one of the aspects cited in school life range from 3.28 for participation in teaching staff training and improvement at the school to 3.58 for desirable participation in the educational project of the school and desirable for disciplinary problems. The global average of the fourteen questions on desirable participation is 3.44: it is thus in average terms, in the scope near to group decision making. Thus, as to participation in schools, the answers show a greater degree of participation than at present is desired, above all in matters related to teacher training, the evaluation of educational quality, the school organisational aspects and activities with students' parents.



Graph 5. Averages of real (left), desirable (right) participation in the areas of life at a school

As may be seen on table 5 and graph 5, the desirable participation for the members asked is higher than the real participation in all the aspects, all of the differences being significant. However, the order established between the areas of participation, in real and desirable participation, is practically the same. This fact is also explained by the high correlations found between real and desirable participation.

Aspects related to the school, the students and the educational action, such as disciplinary problems, the educational projects of the school and the improvement projects, are areas in which there is more participation than others, although those in which the wish to participate is also greater than in the remaining ones.




DIFFERENCES IN THE DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION

The differences between real participation and desirable participation in the different areas of life at the school and as to the following groups have been analyzed:

  • Participation by each one of the groups surveyed.
  • Participation by the principal and the non School Council member teachers.
  • Participation by the principal and the rest of the members of the School Council.
  • Participation at Primary Schools and at Secondary Schools.
  • Participation at state schools and private schools.
  • Participation according to the size of the school.

Participation in the different areas of the life of the school expressed by groups surveyed is shown on table 6, which states the global measurements of opinion of each one.



Table 6. Participation by each of the groups
  Real participation Desirable participation Difference Significance level
Principal 3,69 (1) 3,81 (1) - 0,12 (9) ****
Head of Studies 3,63 (2) 3,79 (2) - 0,16 (8) ****
School owner's representative 3,37 (3) 3,60 (5) - 0,23 (7) ***
School Council member teachers' representative 3,26 (4) 3,68 (3) - 0,42 (5) ****
Non School Council member teachers' representative 3,13 (5) 3,61 (4) - 0,48 (4) ****
Representative of the Local Government 2,69 (6) 3,29 (7) - 0,60 (3) ****
Representative of the students' parents 2,67 (7) 3,33 (6) - 0,66 (2) ****
Representative of the Administration and Services staff 2,43 (8) 2,78 (9) - 0,35 (6) ****
Representative of the students 2,42 (9) 3,12 (8) - 0,70 (1) ****

**** Significant differences at 1o/oo
*** Significant differences at 5o/oo


The principal, the head of studies, the representative of the holder of the school and the teaching staff (whether members of the School Council or not) state that they participate, to a greater extent, in this order, than the rest of the members asked. In another group, with lesser participation, there are the representative of the Local Government, the representatives of the parents, and representatives of the students and the representative of the administrative and services staff. These groups are practically ordered in the same way as to desirable participation. The groups that participate the more also wish to participate even more.

The degree of participation, whether real or desirable, stated globally by the principal was significantly greater than that stated by the School Council non member teachers; the difference in the global measurements between both groups is greater in real participation than in desirable participation, so the teaching staff experiences a greater difference than the principal between its real participation and that it would like to have.

The degree of real and desirable participation is significantly greater for the principal than the rest of the members of the School Council: the difference in the global measurements between both groups is greater in real participation than in desirable participation. The difference between real and desirable participation is thus greater among the rest of the members of the School Council than for the principal.

There are no differences in real participation between state and private schools; however, greater participation is desired at the former than the latter so, logically, the members at state schools experience a greater difference between real and desired.

There are significant differences as to real global participation, expressed by all the members asked, among those from Primary Schools and from Secondary Schools, there being greater participation by the former. The difference is repeated, and in the same sense, as to desirable participation among members at both types of schools. The difference or variation between the real and desired participation is practically the same at both.

For correct interpretation of the differences analyzed concerning participation, one must bear in mind that some variables covary with each other.


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