Implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving in Schools in Malawi: A case of Community Day Secondary Schools in Chitipa Education Cluster

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to assess the implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving in management of Community Day Secondary Schools in Malawi. The study was a case study using mixed method in data collection, analysis and presentation. The study targeted five CDSS in Chitipa Education Cluster (CEC) that were conveniently sampled. The study targeted a population of 2200 with a sampled population of 123 broken down as follows; students represented by 75 prefects 15 from each school, 65 teachers represented by 29 teachers, 5 head, 5 School Management Committee chairs, 5 mother group chairs 1 from each school, 3 directors of organizations and 1 official from Northern Education Division (NED). The study population was composed of 2282 respondents. Data from head teachers and teachers was collected by semi structured questionnaires. Study guide collected data from Focus Group Discussions with the students in all schools. Interviews conducted involved SMCs, organization directors where interview guides were used to collect data. Quantitative data was collected from head teachers and teachers and was analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics such as graphs, pie charts, frequency tables were generated. Qualitative data was collected from students, SMC, NGOs, mother group and official from the NED was thematically analyzed. In this case themes were generated from the codes encompassing responses from respondents. The study found out that Chitipa Education Cluster has a number of managerial challenges that mostly were as a result of poor interest stakeholders had towards solving them. The study revealed that implementation of CPS strategies available was challenged by conflict of interests of stakeholder occurring at different systemic levels in education management. Conclusion from the study was that CPS solutions applied in CEC were found ineffective as they did not satisfy principles of effective collaboration designed by Ring Central Team (2020). The study recommended that school managers have to incorporate different stakeholders in school management through CPS for these challenges to be solved. The study has added information of the need to consider interests of stakeholders in implementation of a strategy to achieve the set goals, to the existing information of implementation of CPS to problem solving in schools with a case of CEC.