Abstract:
In the context of Sri Lanka’s shift toward decentralized education, school-level
planning has become a cornerstone for improving school effectiveness and
educational quality. School leadership plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of
such planning by aligning institutional goals with national educational priorities.
School leaders must act not only as institutional managers but also as systemic change
agents capable of implementing long-term educational reforms. The Short Course on
School Management, introduced by the Department of Educational Leadership and
Management at the Open University of Sri Lanka, aims to strengthen school
principals’ competencies in areas such as strategic planning, supervision, and
evaluation. The primary purpose of this study was to examine how school leaders
implement school-level planning, identify the challenges they face across various
planning stages, and explore the strategies they adopt to overcome these obstacles.
Employing a case study design, the research focused on 20 principals from the 5th
batch of the short course. Data were collected through online questionnaires, focus
group discussions, reflections, and document analysis. Quantitative data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data underwent thematic
content analysis. Findings revealed that while all principals engaged in one-year and
five-year planning based on national guidelines, their efforts were frequently
obstructed by financial constraints, inadequate stakeholder involvement, limited
teacher capacity, and insufficient data systems. Despite these challenges, most
principals adopted strategic, collaborative, and contextually appropriate approaches
to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of planning processes. The study
recommends greater investment in professional development, improved data
infrastructure, and stronger community engagement to enhance school-level planning
outcomes. These findings have implications for both policymakers and educational
leaders striving to achieve equitable and context-relevant education across Sri Lanka.
