2.1 Theoretical foundation

In the last three decades, society has evolved rashly in all spheres as a result of advances in technology, communications, and information. This imposed new relationships forms and styles that, in the field of education, undoubtedly disturbed the management of schools, school culture, teaching methodologies, axiological conceptions, and the profile of the new human being that today's society demands.

Faced with this challenging context, schools must change and move towards gradual adaptation processes that allow them to meet their educational mission in a context of uncertainty, socio-sanitary, environmental crises, and permanent changes.

We see the school principal as the most significant leader capable of making those adaptation processes possible; and parents as the key articulators and collaborators in the educational processes of their children and for the improvement of educational institutions. On this topic, ^{Barrientos, Silva and Antúnez (2016}, p. 48), concerning the principals, reaffirm that:

[...] su desempeño como líderes debe dinamizar y motivar los procesos de participación de todos los actores educativos, orientando sus actuaciones bajo los principios de corresponsabilidad, cooperación, coordinación y autoridad democrática una participación que debe ser entendida como un acto inclusivo que permita a las personas incidir en el rumbo de la organización a través de sus actuaciones, opiniones y toma de decisiones.

In the works of ^{Barrientos and Marichal (2019}), Marichal and Barrientos (2019), Marichal, Barrientos and Hernández (2019) and Marichal, Rodríguez and Cáceres (2018), the importance of training leaders for school principals is emphasised.

The information and professional experience available allow us to argue, among other issues, that there are no studies in this area in the Province of Chiloé and the actions that have been developed in this context have little impact. Therefore, this study is highly relevant, even more so when we will soon be faced with a post-pandemic scenario that will change relations and school cultures at all levels, in which the parents' responsibility and commitment will have to increase.

Today, our schools need to be led by highly competent professionals who promote good interpersonal relationships, with a holistic view of education, agents of democratic practices and promoters of inclusion and socio-educational participation, who consider the construction and making of persons as a principal, through collaborative work with the students' families. Therefore, it's imperative to move towards the empowerment of a balanced and sustainable managerial leadership (^{HARGREAVES; FINK, 2008}; ^{LEITHWOOD, 2009}; ^{MURILLO, 2006}), which allows the formation of new leaders and considers the development of people and diversity as essential conditions for continuous institutional improvement.

We believe that the education's great challenge must be to strongly encourage collaborative relationships between schools and families, establishing a solid dialogue because of the positive socio-educational impact parents' involvement has on their children's education, as is the consensus of many authors (^{ANTÚNEZ, 2000}); ^{BARRIENTOS, 2015}; ^{DOMÍNGUEZ; FERNÁNDEZ, 2007}; ^{PARELLADA, 2003}). These scholars claim that greater parent participation, with a pedagogical approach, makes it possible to manage the improvement of the complexity of society, the objectives of education, and the students' schooling, under the wing of involvement based on the co-responsibility that each educational agent is responsible.

That is why we support the competence development model, upon which we will conceive this concept as the:

[...] conjunto combinado de saberes, habilidades, destrezas, actitudes, valores, motivaciones y rasgos de personalidad que se articulan y movilizan en las acciones en contextos determinados, para la efectiva resolución de problemas propios del desempeño laboral. (^{BARRIENTOS, 2015}, p. 101).

As reasserted by ^{Aramendi (2008}, p. 148), who states that:

[...] será fundamental movilizar competencias relacionales que discurran en las dimensiones intrapersonales (con uno mismo), interpersonales (con los demás), grupales y reticulares (redes sociales y virtuales), que propendan a una mayor cohesión entre los miembros de la comunidad educativa.

Likewise, it will be necessary to give special consideration to the emotional competences proposed by the classic ^{Goleman (1996}). With these ideas, we understand the concept of participation not only as the action of being part of something, since participation: "[...] must be seen broadly and not in a limited way; reaffirming that it is a process involving individuals and groups as subjects and actors in decisions and actions that affect them or their environment" (^{FLAMEY et al., 2005}, p. 10).

These approaches allow us to reaffirm that the leadership within schools practiced by principals is fundamental, as they must emphasize learning, therefore, it must have a character: "[...] pedagogical that guides the school work with a vision of the future within a framework of ethical action, creating spaces of trust and participation in an environment that guarantees respect and the community inclusion" (MINEDUC, 2015, p. 9). It's also imperative to underscore the need to strengthen parents' participation in schools with a preferential focus and intentionality on the formative aspects that contribute to improving their children's learning.

According to ^{Kidder (2013}), there are multiple activities that families can develop at home in a planned and autonomous way, which undoubtedly can have a substantial impact on improving children's learning and school performance. In this way, ^{Barrientos (2015}) suggests that, through the management and with the support of the Parent Centers, they coordinate instances that allow the development of actions such as the following:

2.2 Methodology

The research was developed using a qualitative approach, from an interpretive paradigm, with an ethnographic design that focused on "[...] describing and analyzing ideas, beliefs, meanings, knowledge, and practices of groups, cultures, and communities" (PATTON, 2002 apud ^{HERNÁNDEZ; FERNÁNDEZ; BAPTISTA, 2006}, p. 697). In the case of ^{Rodríguez, Gil and García (1999}), they focused on a natural social context, whose object of study was analyzed in its normal dynamics, without manipulating or modifying it. The authors endorse this approach stating that qualitative research "[...] studies reality in its natural context, as it happens, trying to make sense or interpret phenomena according to the meanings they have for those involved" (^{RODRÍGUEZ; GIL; GARCÍA,1999}, p. 32).

We focus on a Case Study (^{STAKE, 2007}) following the guidelines of ^{Latorre, Del Rincón and Arnal (1996}) and ^{Sandín (2010}), this constitutes a research method of great importance for the analysis of the social reality in the development of social sciences and humanities and represents the most relevant and natural form of research-oriented from a qualitative perspective.

2.3 Data collection

The research was conducted before the pandemic. So, the results and conclusions that emerged were based on a normal school scenario. The primary source of information was a group of 11 public elementary school principals working in the Province of Chiloé, both in urban and rural areas, with experience equal to or greater than two years in the position in the area. An individual, unstructured and in-depth interview was conducted with this group.

The complementary sources were the group of teachers and parents connected to the schools in which the principals in the study work. A total of 84 teachers and 97 parents participated. They answered a survey, both online and in-person, with both subjective and multiple-choice questions, intending to uncover their views on the competencies and performance of principals concerning practices and strategies to promote participation. The instruments of this study were validated through the criteria of 30 expert judges from seven countries; Delphi was used in three rounds.

2.4 Information analyzes

The information collected in the interviews was analyzed inductively using the Atlas.ti 8 software, a process from which six analysis meta-categories emerged: Managerial Vision; Professional Competencies; Management Practices; Strategies to Promote Participation; Participation Activities; and Contextual limitations.

Information from teacher and parent questionnaires was collected using Google Forms, the subjective responses were analyzed manually using a qualitative approach.

3.1 Study thematic dimensions

Participation concept: As the principles frame participation as a concept so the process varies greatly. As a concept, most relate it to the act of collaboration, involvement, incorporation, and commitment. As a process, only one of them relates it to decision-making. This allows us to understand that participation has very different connotations and that there is no single meaning. The most accepted idea is that participation is synonymous with attending school for activities, without making it clear that it's an act connected to children's educational support.

Valuing participation: 100% of answers value parents' participation as fundamental, stating that without them it is not possible to work properly. Teachers agree with principals and add that participation has a direct impact on school performance and students' social, intellectual, and values-based education.

Source: Atlas.ti 8.

Figure 1 Principals' quotes about the evaluation of participation 

Directive practices: Directive practices which are understood as "[...] the set of behaviors that reflect what the principles do to promote parental involvement" (^{BARRIENTOS, 2015}, p. 98), are varied. Two principals report that they regularly attend parent meetings if only to say hello; one emphasizes warm welcomes to parents when they come to school; two others report having permanent, fluid, and close contact with their parents; only one reports that he encourages teachers to be close to parents.

Source: Atlas.ti 8.

Figure 2 Practical management quotes 

Strategies: In terms of managerial strategies, which are understood as "[...] the set of planned and concrete actions that reveal the managers' ways of doing, concerning their practices, mobilizing a variety of resources, devices, tools, and decisions to do it" (^{BARRIENTOS, 2015}, p. 98), a series of actions were identified that are related to assisting parents cordially and promptly; considering their opinions; maintaining communication and making calls through WhatsApp groups, phone calls, invitation cards, written calls, and Facebook; relating to the community through participation in local institutions; maintaining good interpersonal relationships, fostering trust through informal relationships.

Source: Atlas.ti 8.

Figure 3 Quote on management strategies 

Source: Atlas.ti 8.

Figure 4 Reference to relevant managerial competence to promote parent involvement 

On the other hand, teachers believe that principals should stand out for having high competencies or personal resources, such as empathy. In addition, they emphasize leadership as a key competence for improving educational processes. They consider relevant the mobilization of skills such as responsibility, trust, credibility, sympathy, sociability, and proximity; communicative, committed, decisive, welcoming, and transparent attributes, attributes that aren't evidently seen in investor accounts. They say it's important to be someone who promotes equal opportunities and encourages harmony and free speech. Likewise, they must know the context, the culture of the place, and the ability to convene.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of parents agree that the main personality traits a principal must possess to promote participation should be: Communicative, Empathetic, and Responsible: Communicative, Empathetic, and Responsible.

50% of principals say those in leadership positions must have highly developed people skills, such as listening and being consistent, trustworthy, and warm. In terms of values, they must be respectful, honest, generous, considerate, and understanding and socially committed.

Leadership: At least 40% of directors say they take their position with charisma. They say that to exercise real leadership, they must be socially sensitive, generate trust and respect, and always listen to the parents. Thus, seven of the 11 principals recognize that they exercise democratic leadership and promote the horizontal management of people. The remaining four don't identify what type of leadership they belong to.

Source: Atlas.ti 8.

Figure 5 Leadership quotes 

Fonte: Google Forms.

Graph 3 Activities in which parents participate 

Difficulties: Headteachers, teachers, and parents agree that the main difficulty is related to the parents' lack of time due to their jobs. Another important element is the adverse weather conditions and the geographical distance from the families' residences.

At least three headteachers say that it's often difficult for them to carry out activities due to the size of the physical space and lack of financial resources.

Source: Google Forms.

Graph 4 Difficulties in promoting participation according to managers