Practices, Challenges, and prospects of Implementing School-Based Management (SBM) System in Ethiopian Schools: Implications for Policy Makers

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the level of practice, challenges, and prospects of SBM in Ethiopian schools. A holistic multiple-case study was utilized. In addition to document review, the researcher collected data via semi-structured interviews with maximum diversity sampling from eight participants. Thematic analysis was employed for analysing data. Results showed that implementing SBM in Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, was ineffective. The significant challenges identified were: the low administrative capacity of crucial members of the SBMs, uncertainty, overload, lack of cooperation from the school leaders, and teachers' misunderstanding of the importance of the SBM. To improve school management at the school level, Ethiopian schools should take the following prospects into account: Commission a steering committee to introduce SBM, make a pilot project to allow some schools to have greater control over their budgets, give legal authority to schools to define themselves, increase the direct relationship between district education bureaus and regional educational bureaus, provide in-service training and so forth. In addition to the theoretical implications to the literature about SBM in the Ethiopia context, this study has several practical implications for many stakeholders of education, such as the Ministry of Education and school administrators, to understand the challenges in implementing SBM and to overcome the challenges in their respective schools by considering the suggested prospects.

Keywords

• Authority
• Budget
• Decentralization
• School
• School-based management

References

1. Abu-Duhou, I. (1999). School-based management. Fundamentals of educational planning. Paris: UNESCO Adam, Nir (2002). School-based management and its effect on teacher commitment. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 5(4), 323–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120210134616 Arar K & Abo-Rome A (2016). School-based management: Arab education system in Israel. Journal of Educational Administration,54(2), 191–208. https://doi:10.1108/JEA-09-2014-0118
2. Arar, K., & Nasra, M. A. (2020). Linking school-based management and school effectiveness: The influence of self-based management, motivation and effectiveness in the Arab education system in Israel. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(1), 186–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218775428
3. Arcia, G., & H. Belli (1999). Rebuilding the school contract: School autonomy Nicaragua. Washington: The World Bank
4. Aturupane, H. Glewwe, P., Utsumi, T., Wisniewski, S. & Shojo, M (2022). The impact of Sri Lanka's school-based management program on teachers' pedagogical practices and student learning: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 14 (4), 285–305. https://doi:10.1080/19439342.2022.2029540 Ballarta, L.V., Illescas, C.M., Perez, D.R., Hamora, L.A., & Hamora, L.A.. (2022). School-Based Management Level of Practice in Selected Public Elementary Schools in Mimaropa Region, Philippines. Journal of Pedagogical Inventions and Practices, 8, 134–146. Retrieved from https://www.zienjournals.com/index.php/jpip/article/view /1672
5. Bandur, A., Hamsal, M. & Furinto, A. (2022). 21st Century experiences in developing school-based management policies and practices in Indonesia. Educ Res Policy Prac, 21, 85–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-021-09293-x
6. Booyse, N.J.(2018). Development of a school-based performance management framework for self-managing schools in South Africa (Unpublished Dissertation). University of South Africa
7. Botha, N. (2006). Leadership in school-based management: A case study in selected schools. South African Journal of Education, 26(3),341-353. https://doi:10.15700/201409161038
8. Braun V. & Clarke V. (2006). Using thematic analyze in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3,77-101. www.QualResearchPsych.com

9. Bretschneider, P., Cirilli, S., Jones, T., Lynch, S., & Wilson, N., (2017). Document review as a qualitative research data collection method for teacher research. In Sage Research Methods Cases Part 2. SAGE Publications, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473957435
10. Briggs, K. & Wohlstetter, P (1999). Critical elements of a successful school-based management strategy: Working paper. Southern California: University of Southern California.
11. Caldwell, B.J. (2005). School-Based Management. Education policy series. Paris: The international institute for educational planning and the international academy of education
12. Cheng, Y. C. (2023). School effectiveness and school-based management: A mechanism for development (2nd ed.). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
13. Cheng, Y. C. (1993). The theory and characteristics of school‐based management. International Journal of Educational Management, 7(6). https://doi.org/10.1108/09513549310046659
14. Cheung, W.M. & Cheng, Y.C. (1997). The strategies for implementing multilevel self-management in schools, International Journal of Educational Management, 11, 4, 159-169. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513549710186263
15. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). London: Routledge Falmer.
16. Department of Chicago Public Schools. (2016). Local school councils. Retrieved from http://cps.edu/Pages/Localschoolcouncils.aspx
17. Di Gropello, E. (2006). A comparative analyze of school-based management in Central America. Washington, DC: USA
18. Falleti, T. (2010). A sequential theory of decentralization and the intergovernmental balance of power. In Decentralization and Subnational Politics in Latin America (pp. 31-75). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi:10.1017/CBO9780511777813.002
19. Fitzpatrick, K. R. (2012). School-based management and arts education: Lessons from Chicago. Arts Education Policy Review, 113:3, 106-111. https://doi:10.1080/10632913.2012.687340
20. Fullan, M. & Watson, N. (2000). School-based management: Reconceptualizing to improve learning outcomes. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 11(4), 453–473. https://doi:10.1076/sesi.11.4.453.3561
21. Gamage, D.T., Sipple, P. & Partridge, P. (1996). Research on school‐based management in Victoria. Journal of Educational Administration,34 (1), 24–40. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578239610107147
22. Garcia-Moreno, V. A., Gertler, P., & Patrinos, H. A. (2020). School-based management and learning outcomes: Experimental evidence. In Community Participation with Schools in Developing Countries (pp. 211-229). Routledge.
23. Hennink,M. & Kaiser,B.N. (2022). Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social Science & Medicine, 292, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523.
24. Holzmann, I. G. (1996). The meaning of kappa: probabilistic concepts of reliability and validity revisited. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 49 (7), 775-782. PIIS 0895-4356(96)00011-X.
25. Iyengar, R. (2021). Rethinking community participation in education post-Covid-19. Prospects, 51, 437–447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09538-2
26. Karsten, S., & Meijer, J. (1999). School-based management in the Netherlands: The educational consequences of lump-sum funding. Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/089590 4899013003005
27. Kelil, H, K., Jebena, C, J. & Dufera, D (2014). The use and usefulness of school grants: lessons from Ethiopia. Paris: UNESCO
28. Martin, M. (2019). The implementation of school-based management in public elementary schools. Asian Journal of Assessment in Teaching and Learning, 9(1), 44–56. https://doi.org/10.37134/ajatel.vol9.no1.5.2019
29. Matthew, I.A. (2020). Perception of principals on challenges of the school-based management committee in public secondary schools in the central senatorial district of Ondo State, Nigeria. Sumerianz Journal of Social Science, 3 (9), 122–129. https://www.sumerianz.com/pdf-files/sjss3(9)122-129.pdf
30. McGinn, N.& Welsh, T.(1999). Decentralization of education: why, when, what and how? Paris International Institute for Educational Planning, UNESCO
31. McGinn, N.& Welsh, T. (1999). Decentralization of education: why, when, what and how? Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning, UNESCO
32. McGregor, D. (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw Hill.
33. Mitchell, R. (2017). Democracy or control? The participation of management, teachers, students, and parents in school leadership in Tigray, Ethiopia. International Journal of Educational Development, 55, 49-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.05.005.
34. MoE (1993). The introduction of school-based management to schools: Recommendations of the steering committee. Jerusalem: Israel
35. MoE (2002). Organization of educational management, community participation, and finance Ababa: Ministry of Education
36. MoE (2005). Education Sector Development Program (ESDP-III) Program: Action Plan. Addis Ababa: Ministry of Education
37. MoE (2010). Education Sector Development Program IV. Addis Ababa: MoE
38. MoE (2015). Education Sector Development Program V (ESDP V) 2015/2016-2019/2020. MOE, Addis Ababa.
39. MoE (2017). Ethiopian Education Development Roadmap (2017-30). An integrated Executive Summary. Addis Ababa: Ministry of Education
40. MoE.(1998). Education Sector Development Program I (ESDP-I): Action Plan. Addis Ababa: Education Materials Production and Distribution Agency.
41. Moradi, S., Hussin, S. B. & Barzegar, N. 2012. School-based management (SBM), opportunity or threat (education systems of Iran). Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69(2012):2143-2150. https://doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.179
42. Mwinjuma, J.S., Kadir, S.A., Hamzah, A., & Basri, R. (2015). A review of characteristics and experiences of decentralization of education. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 3, 34-41. https://doi:10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.3n.1p.34
43. Nekatibeb, T. (2012). Classroom participation and pupil performance: A study of active learning practices in Ethiopian primary education. Paper presented at the Young Lives Ethiopia School Survey Workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
44. Paul, H.T. & Bonan. ,J.(1993). Decentralization and accountability in public education. Rand Corp., Santa Monica: C.A. Institute for Education and Training
45. Pettigrew, J., Razzante, R., Allsup, J., Lu, Y. & Ray, C.D. (2021). Challenging sustainability in school-based intervention in Nicaragua. Health Education, 121 (4), 356-367. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-12-2020-0115 Polit, D. F. & Beck, C. T. (2018). Essentials of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practices (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
46. Riker, W.H.(1964). Federalism: origin, operation, significance (3rd ed.). Boston and Toronto: Little, Brown and Co. Rivarola, M. & Fuller, B.(1999). Nicaragua's experiment to decentralize schools: Contrasting views of parents, teachers, and directors. Comparative Education Review,43 (4), 489-52
47. Rohma, S., Harapan, E., & Wardiah, D. (2020). The influence of school-based management and teacher’s professionalism toward teacher’s performance. Journal of Social Work and Science Education, 1(1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.52690/jswse.v1i1.6
48. Rosyida, P. I. & Purwanto, N.A. (2022). Implementation of school-based management to improve education quality at MAN 6 Pidie. Advances in Social Science, Education, and Humanities Research, 640. https://doi.10.2991/assehr.k.220129.074
49. Setoaba, M.P (2020). School-based management practices at secondary schools in the llmpopo province, South Africa (Unpublished Dissertation). University of South Africa.
50. Sleegers, P. & Wesselingh, A. (1993). Decentralization in education: a Dutch study. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 3(1), 49-67, https://doi: 10.1080/0962021930030103
51. Soga, N N. (2004). Self-managing schools in Gauteng: Challenges and opportunities for school-based managers. Master Thesis: University of South Africa.
52. Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Sage.
53. Stufflebeam, D. L. (2003). The CIPP model for evaluation. In D. L. Stufflebeam & T. Kellaghan (Eds.), The international handbook of educational evaluation (Chapter 2). Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers
54. Swift-Morgan.J.(2006). What community participation in schooling means: Insights from Southern Ethiopia. Harvard Educational Review, 76(3), 339–368. https://doi.org/10.17763 /haer.76.3.e475j32j69q 27x63
55. Taddese, E. T. & Rao, C. (2022). School-based continuous professional development of teachers: A case study of primary school teachers in Ethiopia. Education 3-13, 50(8), 1059-1071.
56. Tulu, A. (2019). The Practice and Challenges of School-Based Teachers' Continuous Professional Development: A Case of Government Secondary Schools of Hawassa City in Ethiopia. Educational Research and Reviews, 14(1), 33-43.
57. UNESCO (2020). Institute for Statistics (UIS).Stat Bulk data download service. Accessed June 3, 2023 from apiportal.uis.unesco.org/bdds.
58. Weiss, C. (1992). Shared decision-making about what? A comparison of schools with and without teacher participation. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
59. World Bank.(2008). What is school-based management? Washington, DC: The World Bank.
60. Yamauchi, F. (2014). An alternative estimate of school-based management impacts on students’ achievements: Evidence from the Philippines. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 6 (2), 97-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/19439342.2014.906485
61. Yin, R. K. (2012). Applications of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.