Decisional Participation Scale

Alutto, J. A., and Belasco, J. A. (1972). Patterns of teacher participation in school system decision making. Educational Administration Quarterly 9:27–41.

Comments: A 12-item instrument designed to measure a teacher’s actual and desired rates of participation in decision making. Individuals can be categorized as decisional deprived, at equilibrium, or saturated.

Sample: Teachers were taken from two school districts in western New York State, resulting in a sample of 454 teachers.

Reliability: Test-retest reliability estimates exceeded 0.80 for all sections of the questionnaire.

Validity: The Mohrman study cited nexxt provides information on the validity and factor profile for the 12-item instru- ment. Three factors were found, one for actual participation and two for deprivation.

Definition of Factors: Decisional deprivation means current participation in decision-making less than preferred; Deci- sional equilibrium means current participation equal to preferred; and Decisional saturation means current participa- tion greater than desired.

References

Decisional Participation Scale

1. When a new faculty member is to be hired in your school or department, would you be involved in making such a decision?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in deciding whether or not to hire a new faculty member in a given area?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in deciding whether or not to hire a new faculty member in a given area?
2. When school or department budgets are planned, would you be involved in their preparation?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in deciding on departmental or school budgets?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in deciding on departmental or school budgets?
3. When a new textbook is needed for a course in your department of school, would you be involved in making such a decision?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in selecting texts for courses?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in selecting texts for courses?
4. When one of your students becomes involved in academic or personal problems, would you be involved in deciding how to resolve the difficulties?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in resolving such student problems?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in resolving such student problems?
5. When individual faculty assignments are considered, would you be involved in making such decisions?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in designating faculty assignments?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in designating faculty assignments?
6. When a faculty member has a grievance, would you be involved in resolving the problem?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you feel presently has the “final say” in resolving faculty grievances?
   6. Who do you feel should have the “final say” in resolving faculty grievances?

7. When new instructional methods (e.g., team teaching) are suggested, would you be interested in making the deci- sion whether to adopt them or not?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If so, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in deciding matters concerning new instructional methods?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in deciding matters concerning new instructional methods?
8. If new building facilities are needed, would you become involved in making such a decision?
   1. If so, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If you do, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” concerning the construction of new facilities?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” concerning the construction of new facilities?
9. When there are problems involving community groups (e.g., T.A., civil rights groups) would you become in- volved in eliminating the difficulties?
   1. If yes, in what capacity?
   2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
   3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
   4. If so, in what capacity?
   5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in determining how such difficulties are resolved?
   6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in determining how such difficulties are resolved?
10. When there are problems with administrative services (clerks, typists, ) would you become involved in resolving such difficulties?
    1. If yes, in what capacity?
    2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
    3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
    4. If so, in what capacity?
    5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” about how such problems are resolved?
    6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” about how such matters are resolved?
11. Would you be involved in any decisions concerning faculty members’ salaries?
    1. If yes, in what capacity?
    2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
    3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
    4. If so, in what capacity?
    5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” in such matters?
    6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” in such matters?
12. Would you be involved in decisions concerning general instructional policy?
    1. If yes, in what capacity?
    2. If you would be involved, with whom would you discuss this matter?
    3. Do you want to be involved in making such decisions?
    4. If so, in what capacity?
    5. Who do you believe presently has the “final say” about instructional policies?
    6. Who do you believe should have the “final say” about instructional policies?

Scoring: Responses are Yes or No for each of the general 12 questions and C; for A and D a brief explanation is re- quired; for B, E and F the title of the appropriate person is required; and also for B the title of the appropriate person next to most often and often is required.