Teacher participation in decision making has been an important aspect of discourse on school management for the last three decades (Bacharach et al., 1990; Conway, 1984; Cheng, 2008). It refers to the humanistic approach in school administration and has been associated with shared leadership and efforts of school democratization. Increased teacher involvement in school decision making is considered important for improving the quality of decisions, as those closest to children can significantly contribute towards providing high quality services to students and the school community (Bauer 1992; Perry, Brown & McIntire, 1994; Somech, 2010). On the other hand, shared decision making may slow down the process, run the risk of early  confrontation,  cause disappointment to teachers and increase the risk of alienation (Quinn & Troy-Quinn, 2000; Tomlinson, 2004).   

Teacher’s willingness to participate in decision making has been associated with supportive leadership (Smylie, 1992) and generally a positive school climate. Moreover, shared decision making may lead to a greater sense of effectiveness for teachers (Little, 1982). Conversely, deprivation of teacher’s participation in decision making may lead to a sense of powerlessness in the school setting, affecting their internal motives and job satisfaction (Bacharach et al. 1990; Conway, 1984), with important implications for student achievement (Benson & Malone, 1987). Recent research indicated that teacher’s participation in curriculum and managerial issues proved to be a predictor of job satisfaction (Cheng, 2008) while others argued that the effect of shared decision making in teacher’s effectiveness  and job satisfaction may be  positive but not high.

Although recent studies provided some evidence of positive effects of teachers’ participation in decision making, it is not clear whether teachers are willing to participate in all types of decisions and which types are more likely to be associated with certain outcomes. Research, incorporating the multi-dimensional nature of school decisions as well as the actual and desired participation in school decision making, is important for gaining insight and clarify the subject.

The aim of the present study was to examine teachers’ actual and desired participation, as well as the discrepancy, in different areas of decision making in Greek primary schools and explore associations with teachers’ sense of powerlessness, perceived school climate, self-efficacy and job satisfaction.

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