Shared Decision-Making Survey (SDMS)
Measures the actual and desired level of teacher involvement in school decision-making, as well as the formal procedures that facilitate this involvement.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Shared Decision-Making Survey (SDMS) was developed by R. L. King & E. J. Meshanko (1992). It is designed to measure Shared decision-making in education. The scale is intended for use with Teachers, school administrators, and school board members.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Actual Participation, Desired Participation, Involvement Procedure.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Actual Participation | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 10 |
| Desired Participation | 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 | 10 |
| Involvement Procedure | 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not participate (Sec. I & II) / No involvement (Sec. III), 2 = Provide or gather information (Sec. I & II) / Informal discussions with administrators (Sec. III), 3 = Suggest possible alternative decisions (Sec. I & II) / Formal committees organized as the need arises (Sec. III), 4 = Recommend a decision (Sec. I & II) / Ongoing formal committee structure without board policy (Sec. III), 5 = Make the decision (Sec. I & II) / Board policy for shared decision making (Sec. III).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 10 to 50. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Involvement / Participation: 10 – 22
- Moderate Involvement / Participation: 23 – 37
- High Involvement / Participation: 38 – 50
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.87.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.