THE EFFECT OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL BELIEFS ON TEACHER ASSOCIATION LEADERS STATED INTENTION TO SUPPORT SITE-BASED DECISION-MAKING

Research investigating teacher attitudes toward programs to increase t he involvement of teachers in the decision-making process, while provi ding useful descriptive data, have contributed little to explain the d isposition of teachers to support or not support changing decision-mak ing relationships. To investigate teacher association leaders' attitud es toward site-based decision making (SBDM), the theory of reasoned ac tion was used to identify variables that may explain the behavioral in tention of teacher association leaders to support SBDM in their school district. Results showed the attitude component was a primary determi nant for the criterion, behavioral intention, to plan to support SBDM in respondents' school district during the 1996-97 school year. Respon dents were found be more concerned with the specific outcomes associat ed with their intention to support SBDM than with the opinions other p ersons or groups hold about the criterion, behavioral intention. The p oor showing of the social influencing component may help explain why t eachers have been reluctant to participate in school reform efforts re quiring cooperation and teaming.