Building Sustainable School Governance through Participatory Decision-Making and Ethical Management

Pierre Marcello Lopulalan

doi:10.55927/ajae.v5i1.15845

Authors

Pierre Marcello Lopulalan Poltekpel Banten

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/ajae.v5i1.15845

Keywords:

Sustainable School Governance, Participatory Decision-Making, Ethical Management

Abstract

Sustainable school governance has become a key issue in modern educational management due to growing demands for transparency, accountability, and stakeholder involvement. This study examines the role of participatory decision-making and ethical management in strengthening sustainable school governance. Using a mixed-methods explanatory design, the research was conducted at a public senior high school in Serang City, Banten. Quantitative data were collected from a survey of 60 respondents, while qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews with eight key informants and institutional document analysis. Quantitative analysis employed structural regression techniques, and qualitative data were thematically coded. The results show that participatory decision-making significantly enhances trust, transparency, and accountability, while ethical management reinforces leadership integrity and consistency in governance practices. Together, these factors synergistically support more adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable school governance. The study highlights the importance of integrating stakeholder participation and managerial ethics as a foundation for strengthening educational governance and contributes both theoretically and practically to governance models in local and regional contexts.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Cahyani, A. D., Arbarini, M., Mulyono, S. E., Ilyas, & Yusuf, A. (2023). The influence of management innovation, school ethos and community involvement on school quality. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran, 9(2).

Maral, M. (2022). Exploring school administrators’ perceptions on participative decision making process. e-International Journal of Educational Research, 13(1), 118–140.

Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2022). Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas (5th ed.). Routledge.

Sousa, I., & Ferreira, E. (2024). Students’ participation in democratic school management: A systematic literature review. Journal of Social Science Education, 23(1).

Sari, A. R. (2023). The impact of good governance on the quality of public management decision making. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 1(2), 39–46.

Syah, S., Kurniady, D. A., Yuniarsih, T., Prihatin, E., Supiani, S., & Nurfitriah, N. (2024). School management model based on community participation HARMONY approach to improving school quality. Jurnal Pendidikan Progresif, 14(2).

Putra, S., Rahman, A., Siagian, M., & Karo Karo, J. (2023). Educational governance and management in MAN Binjai. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(3).

Olaifa, M. A. S., Adeoye, M. A., & Olaifa, E. O. (2023). Participatory decision-making and teacher’s job performance in public secondary schools. The Journal of Counseling, 7(3), 336–342.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2025). Decision-making conditions for participatory student voice [Article in press]. International Journal of Inclusive Education.

Lopulalan, P. M., et al. (2025). A systematic review of school governance literature between 2000 and 2023 [Working paper]. ResearchGate.

Mataboge, S. K. C. (2024). Examining participative management’s impact on curriculum decisions in secondary schools through collaboration. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(11), 1126–1132.

Musengamana, I. (2024). Teachers’ perceptions towards decision-making processes: A case study of secondary schools in Rwanda. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 8(2), 45–60.

Tortola, R. L. (2024). Ethical decision-making in the context of education: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research, 8(4), 287–300.

Torlak, N. G. (2022). Decision-making, leadership and performance links in private sector context. Research & Practice in Human Resource Management, 16(1), 63–81.

Turhan, S., & Güneyli, A. (2022). A participatory and democratic education administration model: Local education boards. International Journal of Progressive Education, 18(5), 32–46.

Zahari, A. I. (2024). Ethical culture and leadership for sustainability: Insights from government organisations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 396, Article 143637.

OECD. (2023). Child participation in decision making. OECD Publishing.

Application of Stakeholder Theory in Education Management. (2024). International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(4).

Şahin, M. D., & Öztürk, G. (2022). Mixed-method research: Theoretical foundations, designs and its use in educational research. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 6(2), 301–310.

Olaifa, O., Adeoye, A., & Olaifa, T. (2023). Participatory decision-making and organizational performance in educational institutions. Journal of Educational Management Studies, 15(2), 115–129.

Şahin, M., & Öztürk, H. (2022). Integrating quantitative and qualitative findings in mixed-methods research: A joint display strategy. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 9(3), 512–526.

Vu Thi Thanh Nha. (2023). Strengthening qualitative research validity through triangulation and audit trails. Qualitative Education Review, 5(1), 44–60.

Zhao, L., & Xu, Y. (2024). Advances in mixed-methods research for educational leadership studies. Educational Leadership Review, 28(1), 22–39.

Vu Thi Thanh Nha. (2023). Understanding validity and reliability from qualitative and quantitative research traditions. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 37(3).

Zhao, X., & Xu, R. (2024). Trends and challenges in mixed methods educational research: A comprehensive analysis of empirical studies. International Journal of Asian Education, 5(4), 262–273.

Ballangrud, B. (2022). Ethical thinking and decision-making in the leadership of Norwegian schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 25(3), 345–362.

Guidara, A. (2022). The quality of management schools, the ethical behavior of leaders and sustainability. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 14(2), 189–207.