Vesna Kovač

Academic staff participation in university governance: Internal responses to external quality demands

Abstract Higher education in Croatia is confronted with new trends and quality demands mostly connected with Bologna processes. It is assumed that Croatian universities with their existing governance structures, characterised by strong state regulation and weak institutional administration, cannot respond effectively to new demands. Findings of the survey on conceptions of governance at the Croatian universities are presented in the paper, with its main aim to explore academic staffs perception of university governance. The idea of the university as a “learning organisation” with strong leadership and engaged academic staff is taken as the desired model. Mapping the opinions of academic staff on the present governance structures, their role in governance issues, and making an inventory of their perceptions of strengths and weaknesses of governance processes, forms important background for reflections on adequate modifications in academic governance.

Collaboration of Schools and External Stakeholders

U clanku se raspravlja o suradnji skola i vanjskih dionika kao bitnom indikatoru kvalitete obrazovanja, ali i bitnoj pretpostavci održivosti obrazovnih promjena i reformi. U teorijskom dijelu rada kontekstualizira se tema suradnje skola i vanjskih dionika analizom aktualnih policy dokumenata te se izlažu temeljne teorijske postavke o fenomenu suradnje, suradnji skola i vanjskih dionika te pozicijama i ulogama relevantnih dionika s kojima skole uspostavljaju suradnicke odnose. U empirijskom dijelu rada izlažu se rezultati istraživanja ciji je cilj bio ispitati percepciju ucitelja osnovnih i nastavnika srednjih skola, sveucilisnih nastavnika i donositelja odluka o kvaliteti i stupnju (uspostavljene) suradnje skola, odnosno ucitelja osnovnih i nastavnika srednjih skola s dionicima iz vanjskog okruženja – posebice s visokoskolskim institucijama koje sudjeluju u inicijalnom obrazovanju ucitelja i nastavnika te predstavnicima donositelja odluka. Vecina sudionika istraživanja procjenjuje suradnju skola i vanjskih dionika nezadovoljavajucom, nudeci prijedloge za njeno unapređivanje prvenstveno kroz njeno formaliziranje i usustavljivanje utemeljeno na poželjnom međusobnom odnosu dionika u suradnji koji podrazumijeva aktivni dijalog, međusobno slusanje, uvažavanje i ostvarivanje zajednickih ciljeva.

Přínos distributivního vedení škol k pracovní spokojenosti učitelů

Tato studie prezentuje výsledky výzkumu zaměřeneho na to, jak chorvatsti ucitele hodnoti vývoj charakteristik distributivniho vedeni skoly (DVS) a zda existuje korelace mezi DVS a celkovou pracovni spokojenosti ucitelů (PSU). Tento výzkum, jejž se ucastnilo 1910 ucitelů chorvatských zakladnich a střednich skol, hodnotil charakteristiky DVS pomoci nově zkonstruovaneho Dotazniku distributivniho vedeni skoly a jedne dodatecne položky pro hodnoceni PSU. Použity byly tři dilci skaly DVS, a sice DVS vychazejiciho z cinnosti pracovniků skoly, z cinnosti uživatelů a vnějsich akterů a z cinnosti ředitelů a jejich nejbližsich spolupracovniků (nepřitomnost DVS). Výsledky Spearmanových neparametrických korelaci ukazuji, že DVS vychazejici z cinnosti pracovniků skoly ma s PSU mirnou pozitivni korelaci, DVS vychazejici s cinnosti uživatelů a vnějsich akterů ma s PSU slabou pozitivni korelaci a DVS vychazejici z cinnosti ředitele a jeho nejbližsich spolupracovniků ma s PSU korelaci negativni. Výsledky ordinalni logisticke regresni analýzy pak ukazuji, že DVS může vysvětlit 20,1 % odchylky celkove pracovni spokojenosti ucitelů.

Efficient School Management at the Local Level / Učinkovito upravljanje školama na lokalnoj razini

The purpose of this paper is to develop theoretical framework that can be applied in the analysis and empirical research on school management efficiency in the Croatian context. The paper contains explanations of significant dimensions based on which it is possible to monitor the practice of school management at the local level, and provides discussions regarding modalities of measures for strengthening school and student capacities that are implemented in certain local self-governments. A review of available data reveals that investment priorities of local self-government units in various types of interventions significantly vary in different local environments and that the possibility of investing in programmes that are thought to be connected with strengthening the achievements of schools and students depends on how developed the existing material prerequisites for the smooth operation of schools are. Guidelines for using efficient support mechanisms in cooperation between local management authorities (school founders) and school institutions are also analysed and proposed.

Efficient School Management at the Local Level

The purpose of this paper is to develop theoretical framework that can be applied in the analysis and empirical research on school management efficiency in the Croatian context. The paper contains explanations of significant dimensions based on which it is possible to monitor the practice of school management at the local level, and provides discussions regarding modalities of measures for strengthening school and student capacities that are implemented in certain local self-governments. A review of available data reveals that investment priorities of local self-government units in various types of interventions significantly vary in different local environments and that the possibility of investing in programmes that are thought to be connected with strengthening the achievements of schools and students depends on how developed the existing material prerequisites for the smooth operation of schools are. Guidelines for using efficient support mechanisms in cooperation between local management authorities (school founders) and school institutions are also analysed and proposed.

Effective School Management at Local Level

The purpose of this paper is to develop theoretical framework that can be applied in the analysis and empirical research on school management efficiency in the Croatian context. The paper contains explanations of significant dimensions based on which it is possible to monitor the practice of school management at the local level, and provides discussions regarding modalities of measures for strengthening school and student capacities that are implemented in certain local self-governments. A review of available data reveals that investment priorities of local self-government units in various types of interventions significantly vary in different local environments and that the possibility of investing in programmes that are thought to be connected with strengthening the achievements of schools and students depends on how developed the existing material prerequisites for the smooth operation of schools are. Guidelines for using efficient support mechanisms in cooperation between local management authorities (school founders) and school institutions are also analysed and proposed.