Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the current practices and challenges of principals’
decision making in Goncha Sisso Enessie Woreda Primary Schools. To accomplish this
purpose, descriptive survey method was employed because of its appropriateness to see the
current practices and challenges. From a total of 68 primary schools in the woreda 8 schools
were selected by using stratified sampling techniques. From these schools, 60 teachers were
selected out of 202 by using simple random sampling. The study took only 60 teacher
respondents for the analysis. On the other hand, 8 principals, 16 KETB and 12 PTA members
were selected by using comprehensive sampling and available sampling respectively since
they are highly responsible decision makers in school affaires. The head of woreda
education office was also selected purposefully for interview. The main instruments used to
collect the data were questionnaire, unstructured interview, and document analysis. The
questionnaire was made to be closed ended followed by some open -ended questions. The
reliability of the questionnaire was checked by using Cronbach alpha method after pilot test
was conducted. The face and content validity of the tools were also checked by experienced
teachers. Percentage and mean were used to analyze the data collected through questionnaire
and also narration for interview items. Thus, the extent of principal’s skills in utilizing the
steps of decision making, ability of understanding rules and regulation of the school, decision
achievement on the intended objectives and stakeholders involvement in decision, principals
definition of problem in decision making and the use of brainstorming techniques, in the
selected primary schools were not as expected level. Consequently, the following
recommendations were made: stakeholders’ participation should be encouraged as decision
making is a cooperative task that required the involvement of all stakeholders. Capacity
building strategies should be designed to train and develop sound decision makingpractic
