Role of High-School Teachers in Academic Decision Making Practices: A Comparative Study of Two Provinces of Pakistan

Teachers of high schools play a pivotal role in qualitative improvement and quantitative expansion of education system. This study was designed to explore the current academic decision making practices in high schools of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to highlight similarities and dissimilarities of academic decision making practices in high schools of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The data revealed that both the Provinces use same academic decision making for planning objectives, targets setting, design strategies to achieve the objectives, equal distribution of work among staff members, performance appraisal of the staff members, internal and external examinations, developing skills, interest and aptitude among the students, and monitoring the students’ activities. It was also found that academic decisions made in secondary schools of both the provinces for supervision of teachers include assigning subjects to teachers according to their professional skills, guidance in selecting relevant material, professional guidance in solving identified problems, evaluating and supervising the teaching methods and planning curricular and co-curricular activities to implement curricula. Results also elicited that community is involved in decision making in both the provinces and legal backup has been given to the community participation, and School Councils have been established in the Punjab province whereas parent- teacher councils have been established in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.