Participative Decision Making and Job Satisfaction for Teachers in UAE: Effect of Gender, Nationality, and School Type

Abstract

Knowledge of teachers’ participative decision making (PDM) and job satisfaction (JS) is important as teachers compose most of a school’s staff. The primary objective of this study is to examine the effect of teacher gender, nationality, and school type on teachers’ PDM and JS in Abu Dhabi schools and to determine whether there are any significant differences in these ratings among teachers of different genders, school types, and nationalities. The secondary objective is to examine the relationship between actual and desired PDM for teachers in Abu Dhabi schools and their JS. This study used a quantitative research method: a questionnaire that measured each responding teacher’s involvement in making school decisions in both the instructional and the managerial domains and their JS. The questionnaire was distributed among teachers in 28 different schools around the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The primary results demonstrated that teachers’ PDM differs by teacher gender, nationality, and school type, whereas teachers’ JS differs by teacher gender and nationality, with school type having in general no significant effect on JS. The secondary results demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between both actual and desired PDM and JS and that teachers’ participation in making instructional decisions has more effect on their JS than their participation in managerial decisions. The main contribution for this study is to enhance the literature on the UAE educational field, educational leadership, and school management.