Authors : Myra E. Funtanares; Manuel V. Estera

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4hyxpuem

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/bdckf6e4

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr1158

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This study examined the impact of stakeholders’ participation on the core pillars of basic education, namely access, equity, quality, resiliency, and well-being, as a basis for promoting inclusive and sustainable school improvement. Using a mixed-method convergent research design, data were gathered from key stakeholder groups to assess the extent of their participation, its influence on the four pillars, the challenges encountered, and the strategies that may further strengthen collaborative engagement. Findings revealed a high extent of stakeholders’ participation across all pillars, with quality obtaining the highest mean rating (X̅= 4.44), followed by resiliency and well-being (X̅= 4.36), equity (X̅= 4.24), and access (X̅= 3.85). Results further indicated that stakeholders’ engagement contributed significantly to reducing access-related barriers, promoting inclusive and equitable learning opportunities, strengthening teaching effectiveness and learner achievement, and fostering safe, supportive environments that enhance the well-being and mental health of the school community. Despite these positive outcomes, challenges such as disruptions caused by disasters and calamities, financial constraints, limited time due to work and personal responsibilities, and inadequate school facilities were identified as barriers to sustained participation. Based on the findings, a strategic plan was proposed focusing on institutionalized child mapping, inclusive education initiatives, strengthened school–community partnerships, professional development, and resilience-oriented support programs. The study concludes that meaningful and sustained stakeholder participation plays a vital role in advancing the core pillars of basic education and underscores the need for collaborative, responsive, and context-sensitive approaches to school improvement. This study provides empirical support for the Basic Education Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (BEMEF) by demonstrating how stakeholder participation concretely influences access, equity, quality, resiliency, and well-being at the school level. The findings offer practical insights for school leaders, teachers, and policymakers in designing participatory governance mechanisms that are responsive to local contexts and community realities. By highlighting both strengths and persistent challenges in stakeholder engagement, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how collaborative partnerships can be sustained beyond compliance-driven participation. Lastly, the results emphasize that inclusive and shared responsibility among stakeholders is essential to achieving meaningful, resilient, and learner-centered school improvement.

Keywords : Stakeholders’ Participation, Basic Education, Access, Equity, Quality, Resiliency and Well-Being, School Improvement.

References :

1. Agravante, K., Digo, M., & Janer, R. (2021). Leadership Coaching and Inclusive School Governance in Magallanes District. Philippine Journal of Educational Leadership, 12(1),45-60.
2. Alampay, L. P., & Garcia, A. S. (2019). School Climate and Adolescent Well-being in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Psychology, 52(2), 123–145.
3. Alinsunurin, J. (2016). School-Based Management Practices and School Effectiveness in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, 3(2), 55–63.
4. Almahasees, Z., Mohsen, K., & Amin, M. O. (2021). Faculty and Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning during COVID-19. Education and Information Technologies, 26(1), 206–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10245-8
5. Alonzo, R., & Paglinawan, J. (2025). Stakeholder Engagement and Sustainability of School-Based Projects in Bukidnon. Mindanao Educational Review, 8(1), 22–39.
6. Alvarez-Figueroa, M., & Rees, J. (2025). Civic Participation and School Governance Reform in Chile. Comparative Education Review, 69(2), 140–158.
7. Amakyi, M., Ampah-Mensah, A., & Baah Bakah, J. (2022). School Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement in Ghanaian Secondary Schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 36(5), 735–749.
8. Anderson, G. L., & Rivera, G. (2019). School Governance in Disaster-Prone Communities. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55(3), 365–398.
9. Ansell, C., & Gash, A. (2008). Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18(4), 543–571
10.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mum032
11. Arguelles, M., & Sarsale, J. (2025). Participatory Planning and School Climate in Rural Philippine Schools. Philippine Social Science Journal, 8(2), 75–91.
12. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
13. Basibas, L. (2021). School–Community Partnerships and Literacy Outcomes in Marginalized Communities. Philippine Journal of Education, 100(2), 89–104.
14. Benbenishty, R., & Astor, R. A. (2018). School violence in context: Culture, Neighborhood, Family, School, and Gender. Oxford University Press.
15. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
16. Bruns, B., Filmer, D., & Patrinos, H. (2019). Accountability and Education Outcomes in Developing Countries. World Bank.
17. Bundy, D. A. P., Silva, N. de, Horton, S., Jamison, D. T., & Patton, G. C. (2018). Optimizing Education Outcomes: High-return Investments in School Health for Increased Participation and Learning. World Bank.
18. Cabarillos, L. (2024). Community Engagement and School Development in Philippine Public Schools. Journal of Philippine Educational Research, 15(1), 34–52.
19. Cassar, J., & Morén-Ao, S. (2022). School Councils and Participatory Governance in Spain. European Educational Research Journal, 21(4), 512–528.
20. Cohen, J., McCabe, E. M., Michelli, N. M., & Pickeral, T. (2018). School Climate: Research, Policy, Practice, and Teacher Education. Teachers College Record, 120(8), 1–34.
21. Colonia, R., Osias, L., & Comon, P. (2024). Stakeholder Participation in Brigada Eskwela Implementation. Philippine Education Quarterly, 13(2), 101–118.
22. Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for Educational Practice of the Science of Learning and Development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140.
23. Department of Education. (2022). Basic Education Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (BEMEF). DepEd.
24. Deslandes, R., & Barma, S. (2020). Family–School–Community-Partnerships and Student Engagement. School Community Journal, 30(1), 85–108.
25. Durlak, J. A., Domitrovich, C. E., Weissberg, R. P., & Gullotta, T. P. (2017). Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning: Research and Practice. Guilford Press.
26. Epstein, J. L. (2018). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools (2nd ed.). Routledge.
27. Evans, D., Mendez Acosta, A., & Saintis, C. (2024). Community Engagement and Rural Education in Guatemala. International Journal of Educational Development, 101, 102812.
28. Feng, Y., & Ni, Y. (2023). Parent Councils and Participatory Governance in Rural China. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(3), 415–433.
29. Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pitman.
30. Fullan, M. (2019). Nuance: Why some leaders succeed, and others fail. Corwin.
31. Gillies, R. M. (2016). Cooperative Learning: Review of Research and Practice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(3), 39–54.
32. Guzman, R. (2022). Stakeholder Engagement and School Governance Effectiveness in Philippine Secondary Schools. Philippine Journal of Public Administration, 66(1), 44–60.
33. Hargreaves, A., & O’Connor, M. (2018). Collaborative Professionalism and Instructional Coherence. Educational Leadership, 76(2), 20–25.
34. Hora, M. T., & Millar, S. B. (2020). A Case Study of Instructional Improvement through Collaboration. Teachers College Record, 122(4), 1–38.
35. Gillies, R. M. (2016). Cooperative learning: Review of research and practice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(3), 39–54.
36. Jeynes, W. (2017). A Meta-analysis on Parental Involvement and Secondary School Student Achievement. Urban Education, 52(4), 481–509.
37. Karasik, R. (2015). Barriers to Stakeholder Engagement in Eastern European Schools. Comparative Education Review, 59(3), 443–468.
38. Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Zongrone, A. D., Clark, C. M., & Truong, N. L. (2018). The 2017 National School Climate Survey. GLSEN.
39. Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2020). Seven Strong Claims about Successful School Leadership Revisited. School Leadership & Management, 40(1), 5–22.
40. Lingam, G. I., & Lingam, N. (2022). Community Engagement and School Leadership in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 25(4), 556–573.
41. Malone, H. J. (2021). Participatory Curriculum Design and School Culture. Educational Policy, 35(6), 879–902.
42. Masten, A. S., & Barnes, A. J. (2018). Resilience in Children: Developmental Perspectives. Current Opinion in Psychology, 20, 140–145.
43. McNeal, R., et al. (2023). Family–School–Community Engagement and Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 93(2), 145–180.
44. Nicdao, R., & Ancho, I. (2020). Inclusive School Improvement Planning in Philippine Public Schools. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 40(3), 321–336.
45. OECD. (2017). PISA 2015 results (Volume III): Students’ Well-being. OECD Publishing.
46. OECD. (2019). PISA 2018 results (Volume III): What School Life means for Students’ lives. OECD Publishing.
47. OECD. (2020). Education Governance in Action: Lessons from OECD Reviews. OECD Publishing.
48. Okon, E., et al. (2022). Participatory Governance and Educational Access in Nigeria. International Journal of Educational Development, 88, 102518.
49. Preston, J. (2017). Community Engagement in School Improvement. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(2), 1–18.
50. Pulgar, J., et al. (2022). Relational Trust and School Resilience in Hybrid Learning Contexts. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 33(4), 562–580.
51. Ramos, J. (2025). Strengthening School-based Management and Stakeholder Participation in Laguna. Philippine Educational Management Journal, 9(1), 11–27.
52. Reimers, F. M., & Schleicher, A. (2020). A Framework to Guide an Education Response to the COVID-19 pandemic. OECD.
53. Roque, M. (2023). Operationalization of SBM Committees in Isabela Public Schools. Educational Management Review, 18(2), 63–79.
54. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Press.
55. Sabates, R., Akyeampong, K., & Westbrook, J. (2016). School Attendance and Distance to School. International Journal of Educational Development, 49, 45–54.
56. Sanusi, A., et al. (2024). The 4P framework for Stakeholder Participation in Qatar Schools. International Journal of Educational Research, 118, 102151.
57. Shiwaku, K., & Shaw, R. (2016). Disaster risk reduction and education. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 16, 98–108.
58. UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education. UNESCO.
59. UNESCO. (2022). Education in Crisis Contexts: Building Resilient Systems. UNESCO.
60. UNICEF. (2021). The State of the World’s Children 2021: On my mind – Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children’s Mental Health. UNICEF.
61. Wentzel, K. R. (2017). Peer Relationships and Motivation at School. Educational Psychologist, 52(4), 234–247.
62. WHO. (2021). Guideline on School Health Services. World Health Organization.
63. World Bank. (2018). World Development Report 2018: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise. World Bank.
64. Zinsser, K. M., et al. (2019). Integrating Social-Emotional Learning into Schools. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 62, 1–13.
65. Zulaiha, S., et al. (2021). Stakeholder Collaboration and Learner Motivation in Secondary Schools. Journal of Educational Change, 22(3), 367–385.