A Case Study on the Application of Collaborative Governance for the Operation of the Elementary Educare Neulbom School Policy in South Korea: Based on the Model and Framework of Ansell and Gash(2007)

Background and Purpose: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provision of care within schools has been underscored as a crucial function of educational institutions in South Korean society. This indicates that there has been a significant emergence of discourse suggesting the need for an expansion in the roles and meanings of schools in relation to care. The essence of this discourse emphasizes the importance of schools not only facilitating learning and growth among students but also providing safe care. Consequently, there is a growing recognition in South Korean society that provision of care by schools include not only for students in poor environments but for all students. Such a function of schools can also be viewed as a fundamental value in practice within the school-family-community system surrounding student. Therefore, based on the model and framework of Ansell and Gash(2007), this study aims to examine major factors and mechanisms within the collaborative governance process for solving issues in elementary care.

Methods: As a multiple case study, present study focused on exploring “how” the local governments facilitated and supported collaboration with communities in relation to care within schools (i.e., the process of collaborative governance). Data collection was primarily conducted through in-depth interviews and field notes. The theoretical and analytic framework of collaborative governance by Ansell and Gash(2007) were adapted and coded to fit the governance of school-community collaboration. Furthermore, the study delineates the contextual differences revealed through the application of Ansell and Gash(2007)'s theoretical framework.

Results: Present study’s unit of analysis include “local governments”, “schools”, “communities”, and “intermediary support organizations”. This research applied the theoretical framework of Ansell and Gash(2007) to South Korean context of collaborative governance to explore the sustained care-related issues and conflicts among these entities, as well as the key factors and mechanisms of their interactions aimed at resolving these issues. The application of Ansell and Gash’s collaborative governance framework to analyze the "school-community collaborative governance" yielded an integrated model. The relationships between the categories of factors explaining “starting conditions”, “facilitative leadership”, “institutional design”, “collaborative process”, and “collaborative outcomes” derived through the analysis provided useful contents on how collaborative governance in each case was influenced by various factors. This offers a new understanding of the significance of pilot operations for school-community collaboration centered around local governments as an alternative approach.

Conclusion and Implications: The South Korean society stands at a point where it must explore a new operational method to create an environment and conditions that satisfy the care support needs of all students. This study applied Ansell and Gash(2007)’s theoretical model and framework to three collaborative governance cases between local government and school in South Korea. Results suggest an 'integrative framework for collaborative governance' that can be applied to South Korea's elementary educare “Neulbom School” policy. These results may facilitate the formulation of efficient operational strategies for the “Neulbom School”.