The Role of Donor and Community Support in Strengthening Educational Leadership in Lebanese Public Schools during Economic Crisis: A Field Study in Tyre District
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59992/IJESA.2026.v5n10p7Keywords:
Educational Leadership, Public Schools, Economic Crisis, Donor Organizations, Local Community, Tyre District, LebanonAbstract
This study examined the relationship between support provided to Lebanese public schools by donor organizations and the local and international communities and the way school principals and general supervisors deal with school realities under the pressures of the economic crisis. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach and used field data collected from 124 principals and general supervisors in public schools and secondary schools in Tyre District, Lebanon. A questionnaire was the main data-collection instrument. Its overall Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was 0.925, while the reliability coefficient of the donor and community support axis was 0.731. The findings showed that the mean score of the support axis was 3.7166 (SD=0.65147), indicating a high level according to the study scale. Financial incentives for teachers and employees ranked first (M=4.78), followed by additional support projects such as the “Kitabi” project (M=4.54). By contrast, the role of parents’ councils in securing school needs outside the parents’ fund received a mean of 1.85, while local community and stakeholders’ contribution to addressing teacher shortages received a mean of 3.18. Regression analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship between the support axis and the principals’ and general supervisors’ dealing with school realities: R=0.468, R²=0.219, F=34.269, t=5.854, p=0.000. Thus, the support axis accounted for 21.9% of the variance in the dependent variable within the regression model. The findings suggest that donor and community support represents an important resource for educational leadership under economic pressure, while it cannot by itself guarantee sustainable performance. More systematic partnerships, needs-based allocation of support, and stronger leadership capacity in planning and resource utilization are therefore important for sustaining public education during prolonged economic stress.
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