FROM CENTRALIZATION TO PARTICIPATION: UNDERSTANDING DECISION-MAKING IN ROMANIAN PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Decision-making autonomy in educational institutions has been consistently associated with professional satisfaction, organizational justice, leadership, and the quality of educational outcomes. While international research emphasizes the positive implications of teacher autonomy for school effectiveness, empirical evidence from early childhood education in Romania remains limited. This article presents a quantitative study investigating the relationships between decision-making autonomy, job satisfaction, leadership, procedural justice, and emotion-based decision-making among preschool teachers and managers. Using a cross-sectional design with an original questionnaire adapted from validated international instruments, data were collected from 113 participants in public and private preschools. Statistical analyses revealed significant associations between leadership and job satisfaction, leadership and desired autonomy, and procedural justice and job satisfaction, while correlations between perceived autonomy and job satisfaction were not significant. Results highlight the important role of transparent decision-making processes and participatory leadership in shaping teachers’ perceptions of fairness and professional fulfillment. The findings contribute to the understanding of decision-making autonomy in Romanian preschool education and suggest practical directions for strengthening participatory management.