Просторова диференціація якості освітньої діяльності у територіальних громадах Тернопільської області в умовах децентралізації

Abstract

У статті проаналізовано просторову диференціацію якості освітньої діяльності у територіальних громадах Тернопільської області в умовах децентралізації. Виявлено нерівномірність розвитку освітнього середовища та обґрунтовано підхід до оцінювання його структурної збалансованості з урахуванням територіальних, інституційних та управлінських чинників.

The study examines spatial differentiation in the quality of educational activity within territorial communities of Ternopil region under ongoing decentralization reforms in Ukraine. The relevance of the research is determined by increasing territorial disparities in the organization, provision and implementation of the educational process, as well as by the growing role of local governance in shaping educational systems. The aim of the study is to identify spatial differences in the quality of educational activity and to determine the key territorial and institutional factors influencing these disparities. The research is based on the analysis of rating indicators of all 55 territorial communities of Ternopil region as of January 1, 2026, obtained from the analytical platform Looker Studio. The methodological framework combines comparative-geographical analysis, statistical methods, grouping techniques, and elements of territorial analysis, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of both integral and partial indicators of educational development. The results reveal a pronounced spatial differentiation of the educational environment in the region. It is established that while certain components, particularly digitalization (such as the implementation of electronic journals), demonstrate relatively high levels of uniformity across communities, other indicators — including the formation of school networks, the use of educational subventions, and participation in extracurricular and sports activities – exhibit significant variability. The study proves the mosaic nature of the educational space, where geographical proximity between communities does not ensure similarity in the quality of educational services. This indicates that local institutional capacity, management efficiency, and organizational practices play a more decisive role than purely spatial factors. It is substantiated that high values of individual indicators do not necessarily guarantee a high overall level of educational quality. This confirms the multidimensional character of the educational environment and the necessity of applying integrated assessment approaches. A key contribution of the research is the introduction of an original “community imbalance index” (Iimb), which measures the internal consistency of educational development within each territorial unit. The index is calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum values of selected indicators, allowing the identification of hidden structural disproportions. Based on this approach, communities are classified according to the balance between institutional capacity and educational outcomes. The typology of territorial communities includes four main types: balanced leaders, technocratic communities, socially oriented communities, and institutionally weak territories. Balanced leaders demonstrate consistently high performance across all indicators, while technocratic communities show strong digitalization but weaker social components. Socially oriented communities focus on inclusivity and social support, whereas institutionally weak communities are characterized by systemic imbalances and low efficiency. The findings also highlight the role of spatial organization and settlement patterns in shaping educational outcomes. Urban communities tend to demonstrate higher efficiency due to resource concentration, while rural and peripheral areas face structural challenges related to dispersed settlement patterns and limited institutional capacity. The study confirms that the quality of educational services should be interpreted as a complex socio geographical phenomenon formed by the interaction of territorial, demographic, economic, and institutional factors. The identified spatial disparities reflect broader processes of regional development and indicate varying levels of community capacity to manage social infrastructure effectively. The practical significance of the results lies in their potential application for improving regional educational policy, optimizing school networks, enhancing the efficiency of budget resource allocation, and reducing territorial inequalities in access to education. The proposed methodological approaches can also be used in the development of strategic planning documents at the local and regional levels. Further research should focus on the application of geoinformation systems for mapping educational disparities, as well as comparative analysis of other regions of Ukraine to identify nationwide patterns of spatial differentiation in educational development.