Stakeholders' Participation in Educational Planning for Pre-Tertiary Education Development in Ghana: A Systematic Review

<p>Stakeholder participation in educational planning is a foundational principle of Ghana's decentralised education governance architecture. This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed empirical and conceptual evidence published between 2016 and 2026 on the scope, mechanisms, outcomes, and barriers of stakeholder participation in pre-tertiary educational planning in Ghana. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, eighteen peer-reviewed articles and papers defined by inclusion criteria were identified through systematic searches of major academic databases. The review addresses three research objectives: (1) the structures and mechanisms through which stakeholders participate in pre-tertiary educational planning; (2) the outcomes associated with such participation; and (3) the barriers and challenges impeding effective stakeholder engagement. Thematic synthesis reveals that Ghana's formal governance structures: School Management Committees (SMCs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), District Education Oversight Committees (DEOCs), District Education Officers (DEOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and traditional authorities constitute the primary channels of stakeholder participation. However, these structures are persistently constrained by capacity deficits, elite capture, gender exclusion, socioeconomic inequality, institutional fragmentation, and centralised administrative control. Where participation is substantive, it correlates positively with improved school enrolment, infrastructure sustainability, teacher accountability, and community ownership of education. The review provides differentiated recommendations for policy makers, school administrators, educational stakeholders, and researchers, and identifies contributions to knowledge for advancing theory and practice in this domain.</p>