Shared Decision-Making Survey (SDMS)

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.

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.