Teachers' views on empowerment and its impact on commitment. (c2014)

Abstract

This study explores teachers’ empowerment and its impact on their commitment to school by eliciting participants’ perceptions of the matter. Empowerment takes place when teachers and staff are provided with the opportunities to have the freedom, responsibility and choice to participate in making decisions related to their work. Empowering implies the presence of distributed power, shared responsibility and democracy at school, which may result in teachers’ improved self-esteem, job satisfaction and commitment and a nurturing environment for personal, social and academic development of youth. The theoretical framework presents theories on empowerment, decision making and commitment; the reviewed literature includes studies mainly from the West due to the absence of similar studies in Lebanon and the region. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to the school’s teachers and management body, interviews with the principal and middle managers and focus group interviews with teachers. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis yielded results that were used to address the main research question. Findings indicate a positive relationship between teacher empowerment and commitment to school and the profession. The managerial implications include the development of a manual for managerial operations outlining the procedures and processes that may increase teachers’ empowerment and positions of responsibility within the organizational structure and give them the chance to participate and use their skills outside of the classroom. Other schools are encouraged to conduct similar studies for improvement purposes.