| Abstract [eng] |
The master's thesis analyses the possibilities of creating inter-school distributed leadership network governance to enhance the competitiveness of public schools. The objective of the thesis is to explore the possibilities of creating inter-school distributed leadership network governance in Lithuania to enhance the competitiveness of public schools. One of the tasks is to develop a strategy and its implementation plan tailored to the creation of inter-school distributed leadership network governance to enhance the competitiveness of public schools in Lithuania. Relevance of the thesis: Public schools in Lithuania face ongoing challenges arising from educational reforms and constantly changing requirements. There is a lack of effective leadership models, and authoritarian leadership is becoming increasingly ineffective, reducing teacher and student satisfaction. The creation of inter-school distributed leadership network governance is becoming a relevant solution to enhance school competitiveness, promote innovation, and share best practices. Novelty of the thesis: The creation of inter-school distributed leadership (DL) network governance in Lithuania is still an emerging practice. Therefore, the strategy and implementation plan proposed in the thesis present a new approach to enhancing the competitiveness of public schools through distributed leadership principles. The thesis reviews the principles of network governance, their application in the education sector, and the theoretical aspects of distributed leadership related to organizational and inter-organizational network governance to enhance public school competitiveness. The legal acts and political documents of the Republic of Lithuania and the European Union are discussed, examining the opportunities and obstacles for the creation of public school networks. In the empirical part of the thesis, a mixed Delphi study was conducted, consisting of three stages: • Semi-structured interviews with school principals, teachers, municipal representatives, and TŪM project experts. • Reflection and qualitative data summarization, analysing expert comments and refining initial statements. • Questionnaire survey with quantitative data using a Likert scale. The study revealed the main obstacles and opportunities in forming inter-school distributed leadership network governance. Empirical data from the study indicated that one of the main barriers to creating inter-school networks is the absence of organizational distributed leadership in network schools and the national education financing model, which focuses on competition rather than collaboration. It was also found that the short-term nature of the TŪM project and administrative burdens create practical difficulties for the development and sustainability of distributed leadership networks. The outcome of the thesis is a strategy and its implementation plan for creating inter-school distributed leadership network governance in Lithuania. The primary focus of ensuring network continuity is the reorganization of existing networks and the establishment of a national coordination centre operating on the principles of decentralization, in cooperation with regional centres. Additionally, it is proposed to change the education financing model to be based on qualitative indicators such as the infrastructure and accessibility of innovations in network schools, thus reducing inequalities between urban and rural schools. The structure of the thesis consists of three main parts: 1. Theoretical part – examines the theoretical aspects of the topic and their application in the education sector. 2. Research methodology – describes the research design, methods used, and data analysis process. 3. Empirical part – presents the research results, their analysis, and discussion. The conclusions systematically address the key research questions. The objectives of the thesis are achieved, and the goal is accomplished. |
