Predicting the Ability to Manage Complex Problems in Primary Schools Based on Participatory Approaches, Modern Management, and Evidence-Based Decision-Making

Abstract

This study aimed to predict the ability to manage complex problems in primary schools based on participatory approaches, modern management, and evidence-based decision-making. This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational survey design. The statistical population comprised all primary school teachers in Babolsar during the 2025–2026 academic year. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling according to gender, teaching experience, and grade level, and data obtained from 162 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Data were collected using a researcher-developed 36-item questionnaire measuring four constructs: participatory approaches, modern management, evidence-based decision-making, and the ability to manage complex problems. Items were scored on a five-point Likert scale. Content, convergent, and discriminant validity were confirmed, while Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability coefficients indicated satisfactory internal consistency. Data were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 4 through Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results revealed positive and statistically significant relationships among the study variables, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.54 to 0.62. The final regression model was statistically significant, and participatory approaches, modern management, and evidence-based decision-making jointly explained 62.4% of the variance in the ability to manage complex problems. Structural model analysis demonstrated that participatory approaches had a positive and significant effect on complex problem management ability (β=0.24), while modern management produced the strongest effect (β=0.38). Evidence-based decision-making also exerted a positive and significant effect on the dependent variable (β=0.31; p<0.001). The structural model demonstrated satisfactory explanatory and predictive power. Furthermore, the standardized root mean square residual value of 0.068 and the normed fit index value of 0.92 confirmed the acceptable fit of the proposed model. The ability to manage complex problems in primary schools is an organizational and network-based capacity developed through the interaction of professional participation, flexible and modern management practices, and systematic evidence utilization. Accordingly, strengthening professional collaboration networks, developing facilitative leadership, and establishing data-driven decision-making mechanisms may improve the effectiveness, adaptability, and problem-solving capacity of primary schools.