Contributions to the Development of School Governance in the European Cultural Area

This research explores the evolution of school governance within the European cultural area, building on a theoretical framework established in 2019. Governance is defined here not merely as an administrative act, but as a complex process of decision-making and implementation involving diverse stakeholder networks.

The study utilizes an updated morphological matrix of ideas to analyze the interaction between democratic principles (rights, responsibilities, active participation, and diversity) and key educational fields (value-based education, communication, and discipline). The primary focus is investigating the transition from "hard governance"—characterized by compulsory legal regulations—to "soft governance", which relies on persuasion, shared values, and democratic dialogue.

The methodology employs a robust triangulation approach, collecting data from six distinct categories of actors: school principals, teachers, auxiliary staff, students, parents, and community partners. This multi-level analysis aims to identify the "decisional synergy" required to foster organizational change and development in modern school systems.
Preliminary findings, based on the application of the morphological matrix, suggest that the inversion of the relationship between obligation and assumption of responsibility is key to superior educational quality. The final results will provide a set of indicators for institutional transparency and participatory management, facilitating a more effective dialogue between schools and their communities.

School governance represents a fundamental pillar of organizational development, moving beyond traditional management toward a culture of active democratic participation. This study explores the transition from "hard governance," based on compulsory legal regulations, to "soft governance," which relies on shared values, persuasion, and the perception of internal and external relationships. The research is grounded in the necessity of evaluating how school systems in the European cultural space adapt their decision-making processes to foster systemic change.