What characterises well‐connected schools? Exploring centrality in inter‐organisational school networks.

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Title: What characterises well‐connected schools? Exploring centrality in inter‐organisational school networks.
Authors: Wyman, Ignacio (AUTHOR), Armstrong, Paul Wilfred (AUTHOR)
Source: British Educational Research Journal. Apr2026, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p1248-1270. 23p.
Subjects: Interorganizational networks, Social network analysis, Education associations, Communication network analysis, School administration, Education & training services industry, Organizational sociology, Power (Social sciences)
Geographic Terms: Chile, Santiago (Chile)
Abstract: Within the educational literature, inter‐organisational school networks are commonly considered instruments for administration, management, and school improvement, but are rarely scrutinised as objects of study themselves. Conversely, in organisational studies, this perspective is given more prominence. Adopting this perspective can provide insights into the possibility that schools are engaging unevenly in inter‐organisational networks, with some schools comparatively better or worse connected than others. This article explores this assumption empirically in a context where recent evidence shows that schools build inter‐organisational relationships for multiple reasons, some of which are vital for their organisational sustainability and their students' educational opportunities. Our premise is that if what schools do is at least partially inter‐organisationally resolved, then their positions and those of the others they relate to are worthy of further exploration. Drawing on organisational theory, this article reports on a study that utilised a sequential mixed‐methods design to generate data with school networks in an urban area of Santiago, Chile. Utilising social network analysis, we develop and introduce a typology of three school types: symbiotically dependent, exemplary, and charismatic‐led schools to consider how centrality can be understood at various scales, driven by different motivations, and establish inter‐organisational relationships of diverse kinds. These insights not only contribute to the school networking scholarship but also illuminate broader issues that hold particular significance within the inter‐organisational space between schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of British Educational Research Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: What characterises well‐connected schools? Exploring centrality in inter‐organisational school networks.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wyman%2C+Ignacio%22">Wyman, Ignacio</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Armstrong%2C+Paul+Wilfred%22">Armstrong, Paul Wilfred</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22British+Educational+Research+Journal%22">British Educational Research Journal</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p1248-1270. 23p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interorganizational+networks%22">Interorganizational networks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+network+analysis%22">Social network analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+associations%22">Education associations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+network+analysis%22">Communication network analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+administration%22">School administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+%26+training+services+industry%22">Education & training services industry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+sociology%22">Organizational sociology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+%28Social+sciences%29%22">Power (Social sciences)</searchLink>
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  Data: Within the educational literature, inter‐organisational school networks are commonly considered instruments for administration, management, and school improvement, but are rarely scrutinised as objects of study themselves. Conversely, in organisational studies, this perspective is given more prominence. Adopting this perspective can provide insights into the possibility that schools are engaging unevenly in inter‐organisational networks, with some schools comparatively better or worse connected than others. This article explores this assumption empirically in a context where recent evidence shows that schools build inter‐organisational relationships for multiple reasons, some of which are vital for their organisational sustainability and their students' educational opportunities. Our premise is that if what schools do is at least partially inter‐organisationally resolved, then their positions and those of the others they relate to are worthy of further exploration. Drawing on organisational theory, this article reports on a study that utilised a sequential mixed‐methods design to generate data with school networks in an urban area of Santiago, Chile. Utilising social network analysis, we develop and introduce a typology of three school types: symbiotically dependent, exemplary, and charismatic‐led schools to consider how centrality can be understood at various scales, driven by different motivations, and establish inter‐organisational relationships of diverse kinds. These insights not only contribute to the school networking scholarship but also illuminate broader issues that hold particular significance within the inter‐organisational space between schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of British Educational Research Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1002/berj.70061
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Social network analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Education associations
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      – SubjectFull: Communication network analysis
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      – SubjectFull: School administration
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      – SubjectFull: Education & training services industry
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      – SubjectFull: Organizational sociology
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      – SubjectFull: Chile
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      – SubjectFull: Santiago (Chile)
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      – TitleFull: What characterises well‐connected schools? Exploring centrality in inter‐organisational school networks.
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              Text: Apr2026
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              Y: 2026
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