Authors

• Mäkelä, Pertti (University of Vaasa. Faculty of Social Sciences)

Keywords

adult education institutions, decision making, educational administrators, educational institutions, educational resources, schools, secondary schools, state schools, teaching, vocational education institutions

Abstract

Similar surveys were also carried out in 1995 and 2002. In the first two surveys, different types of educational institutions were not sorted out, and hence the same questionnaire was sent to all heads of educational institutions. The survey deals mainly with two topics: municipal administration and development policies of educational institutions. The respondents were also asked several basic questions on their educational institutions.

The first basic questions included topics such as the ownership of the institution, the number of students and personnel, and whether the institution charged fees in exchange for different services. The respondents estimated their satisfaction with different supplementary and support services organised by the educational institutions, including student lunch, cleaning, and maintaining the school library. In addition, they were asked how the provision of those services was organised in the institution. The respondents were also asked about contracted-out services.

In relation to management and decision-making, the respondents were asked which elected body was mainly in charge of general educational affairs in their municipality. They also assessed the significance of that elected body in various matters (e.g. the acquisition of resources). Views on which elected body was in charge of different issues related to educational institutions, such as deciding on the distribution of work, the selection of personnel, the expulsion of students, and allocating funds within the institution. Some questions pertained to the effect that various bodies (e.g. the EU, neighbouring municipalities, teachers) had on the activity of the institution. The respondents were also presented with a set of attitudinal statements covering the importance of various roles in their work as well as changes in their importance over the past few years.

Questions on the development policy focused especially on changes in the educational services since 1994, their state at the time of the survey, and future prospects. Views on changes in the size and quantity of teaching groups, in financial resources of the educational institution, and in the appreciation of the institution in the municipality were canvassed. Opinions on the present state in the quality of teaching, working atmosphere, user fees, and co-operation with various bodies was charted. Finally, the use of client surveys was explored.

Background variables included the respondent's year of birth, title, work experience in the field, and level of education. In addition, the data include external background variables.