Lived Realities of Stakeholder Engagement in School-Based Management Validation: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of stakeholders involved in School-Based Management (SBM) validation in the Department of Education Region 10. Through in-depth interviews, the study reveals how stakeholders interpret their engagement amidst systemic challenges and institutional opportunities. The findings highlight two main barriers: difficulty in retrieving required documents and multitasking during validation. These barriers often create stress, hinder instructional time, and diminish stakeholder focus. Nevertheless, engagement in SBM validation also presents opportunities that uplift stakeholder morale, reinforce accountability, and build collaborative school environments. Themes such as morale-boosting experiences, enhanced sense of responsibility, teamwork, policymaking involvement, and school performance validation emerged. Stakeholders also reported improved awareness of learner academic performance and greater confidence in participating in decision-making processes. Framed within Donelson’s Behavioral Management Theory and the philosophical lens of hermeneutic phenomenology, the study uncovers how stakeholders ascribe meaning to their roles and responsibilities. Their perceptions reflect deeply embedded socio-cultural and institutional realities, requiring thoughtful policy and leadership support. The research concludes that SBM validation is not just a bureaucratic process but a transformative space where challenges become springboards for growth and empowerment. The study recommends the strengthening of support systems, refinement of SBM validation criteria, and the fostering of reflective and collaborative school cultures. These steps are crucial in enabling stakeholders to navigate and shape school governance processes in meaningful and sustainable ways.