School Climate and Institutional Image Building in Schools: A Systematic Review of Government and Private Schools in India

School Climate, Institutional Image, Government Schools, Private Schools, India, Educational Administration, Literature Review, Image Building, School Leadership, Stakeholder Perception

This review paper is a synthesis of theoretical and empirical literature on two constructs in Indian educational administration that are interrelated as school climate and institutional image building. The paper reviews the conceptualisation, measurement, and study of these constructs in the context of the government and the privately-operated schools in India, using peer-reviewed studies, policy documents, government reports and doctoral theses published between 1990 and 2024. The review singles out five key thematic groups: (1) conceptual development of school climate in Indian scholarship; (2) frameworks and dimensions of institutional image in school settings; (3) the school climateimage nexus: mechanisms, mediators, and moderators; (4) the government private divide in climate and image: patterns, causes, and consequences; and (5) intervention strategies and policy responses. The review shows that there are crucial research gaps, such as the lack of longitudinal research, insufficient coverage of the situation in rural and tribal schools, and the near lack of studies on digital climate as a new dimension of the image. The paper will end up with conceptual model that combines school climate and image-building processes, and a research agenda to develop the field in India.