Different Views, Shared Goals: An IPA Study of Perceptions in School-Community Linkage Projects

Purpose: This study analyzes stakeholder perceptions of school-community linkage elements to identify improvement priorities based on the gap between perceived importance and performance. Method: A survey of 173 participants across five roles was analyzed using paired t-tests, Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), and one-way ANOVA. Results: A significant gap was found between the high importance and low performance of most elements. IPA identified consensus-building, communication, and resource security as key priorities. ANOVA revealed significant perceptual differences by role, with activists rating the performance of support and communication significantly lower than other groups. Conclusion: The findings indicate that stakeholders perceive linkage projects differently depending on their roles. Bridging these perceptual gaps through targeted strategies and strengthening horizontal governance is crucial for the sustainable development of the education community.