| Abstract [eng] |
SUMMARY In the modern educational environment, schools operate under increasing competition, shifting societal expectations, and demographic challenges. As a result, purposeful and consistent school image formation has become a vital strategic activity. A school's image is understood as a dynamic, multidimensional construct emerging from the interaction of organizational identity, values, culture, communication, and the experiences of stakeholders. Despite growing attention to image management, this topic remains insufficiently explored within the context of general education schools. The aim of this Master's thesis is to analyze the challenges of school image formation in the context of general education and to identify effective ways to overcome them. The research sought to reveal how school leaders form the school's image in practice, what challenges they face, and what solutions they apply to create a trustworthy, authentic, and long-term image. The study employed a qualitative method – semi-structured interviews with general education school leaders. The collected data were analyzed using the inductive content analysis method, which allowed for the identification of key dimensions and challenges of image formation. The analysis revealed that the foundation of a school’s image is formed by internal organizational culture, value-based attitudes, community spirit, teacher professionalism, and the significance of achievements. These elements serve as the core from which the school's external representation arises. Empirical results showed that communication and visual identity are among the most important tools for image formation. In order to reach different target audiences – students, parents, social partners, and the public – schools combine official communication with dissemination through social media. The study revealed that communication is often carried out in a fragmented manner, lacking a clear strategy and a responsible person, which reduces the consistency and recognizability of the image. Social partnership, media involvement, and modernization of the environment and activities also play an important role in shaping the school image. International and national projects, the use of digital tools, and the renewal of educational spaces enhance the school's image of modernity and openness. Identified key challenges include value and perspective misalignment among community members, lack of parental involvement, information overload, informal negative communication, and systemic instability in educational policy. The findings suggest that school image formation should be understood as a long-term, strategically managed process, based on strengthening internal identity, clear communication direction, and active stakeholder involvement. The practical relevance of the thesis lies in the recommendations provided for school leaders aiming to ensure authenticity, consistency, and resilience of the school's image in the public sphere. This research contributes to the academic discussion on image management in educational organizations and lays the groundwork for further studies in the context of general education schools. Keywords: school image formation, challenges. |
