Welcome!
BELLON is the research group of the Educational Studies Department of Ghent University that studies the policy and leadership in schools.
Bellon has three goals:
a) gain knowledge through scientific research about the organisation of schools and development of educational policy;
b) support schools and policy makers to improve;
c) make knowledge about policy and leadership in schools available for everyone.
Bellon in short
A core assumption within the BELLON research group is that school context is essential to obtain high quality education. School conditions have an important influence on teachers, teaching, and students’ learning outcomes. As a result, school leaders are key actors in ensuring direct contact between stakeholders, teachers, students, and parents. Nevertheless, schools do not operate in a vacuum. School policy can only be developed optimally when framed within existing regional and national educational policy. As such, research set up by this research group covers 3 policy levels: macro (national), regional and school level. The mutual dynamics between these levels is essential.
a) Macro level
Central research questions at the national level include the functioning and the effects of market mechanisms, hierarchies, accountability systems, school autonomy, and the implementation of New Public Management.
b) Regional level
In a quasi-market (such as Flanders), schools on their own are insufficiently capable of offering balanced and complete education. Hence, policy research at a regional level is needed (e.g. concerning school communities and school boards).
c) School level
Research concerning school leaders is situated at the school level. In addition, personnel policy is an important research domain: research is carried out to identify essential links in the HRM cycle. The impact of school autonomy and school leadership on the school culture and on teachers is also studied. Moreover, multiple components of school policy are examined.
Members BELLON
Geert Devos » |
Melissa Tuytens » |
Eva Vekeman » |
Lore Bellemans »  |
Julie Droissart »  |
Maxime Moens »  |
Pieter Flamand » |
Lyssa Pauwels » |