Collaborative Decision-Making In School: School Property Custodians In Focus

Abstract

The study examined the school property custodians' experiences with collaborative decision-making in the context of school property management. This study employed a phenomenological research design to determine the experiences and perceptions of the eight (8) participants. Two primary themes were revealed in the experiences of property custodians: challenges faced and positive impacts. Among the obstacles were opposing perspectives, availability of time, and decision is a prerogative of a selected few. Conversely, positive impacts included improved decision quality and effective resource allocation. Property custodians' survival mechanism themes were ensuring evidence-based decisions, revitalizing collaborative culture, and engaging in leadership training. Lastly, on the educational cognizance drawn from the experiences, the themes were ensuring a secure work environment, embracing open-mindedness, and cultivating a growth mindset. These themes implied that school property custodians should implement decision-making strategies to give teachers the responsibility and power to create a more effective school setting. Property custodians should consider that each member makes an effort to pay attention, take part, and listen to each other's ideas because they know they will also be heard.