Towards a School’s Good Governance Anchored on the Primacy of the Teacher’s Voice of a Public School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Teachers are not only about having a voice but also that their voice has an impact. They have firsthand experience regarding what works in the classroom, and they care about their voices being genuinely solicited and heard. They start to care less about offering their opinions when it seems like the asking is a mere formality. The question is, does their voice matter? When can it be considered the prime voice? This is what the present study tries to determine: towards a good school’s governance anchored on the primacy voice of the teachers of a public school.

METHODS

Qualitative research was designed to reveal a target audience's range of behavior and the perceptions that drive it with reference to specific topics or issues. It uses in-depth studies of small groups of people to guide and support the construction of hypotheses. The results of qualitative research are descriptive rather than predictive.

RESULTS

More than half of the respondents have MA units. About half of the respondents are below ten years in their length of service, while the other half has served at least ten years or more for the grade handled, one-third of the respondents are handling Grade 3 while the remaining two-thirds are handling Grades 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. All of the respondents are involved in the academic area in terms of the assessment of the supremacy of their voice: Belonging: The overall weighted mean affirmed that the teacher-respondents agree will all the indicators; however, they reveal that the school is not a welcoming place. Moreover, they felt that they are not valued as a member of the school community.

DISCUSSIONS

The school head should ensure that a school is a welcoming place in terms of the physical environment and the organizational atmosphere. In addition, the teachers should feel valued as a member of the school by getting their opinions and side of the story when there are issues and concerns. The teachers should establish a strong rapport with the students through their classroom activities and interaction.