الفهرس 
الفصل الأوليوجد فقط 14 صفحة متاحة للعرض العام
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المستخلص
Introduction
Currently, there is considerable global interest in competitiveness. It is the motivating factor that controls the steps and motivates many people to work and achieve more creativity, innovation, and excellence over their peers and competitors. Accordingly, they could achieve the highest levels of return and profitability.
Competitiveness has become increasingly important. Relevant boards, bodies, departments, as well as strategies and indicators, were established. This term has become an essential link among economists and specialists of the management of international, local, or medium business and enterprise. First, it was introduced in the fields of business, trade, finance, and economics. Then, it moved to other fields, including education.
A major focus on the competitive advantage was linked to the writings of Porter (Professor of Strategic Management at Harvard University) who published his first publication in the field entitled Competitive Strategy in 1980. In 1985, he wrote the Competitive Advantage. Competition models began to emerge through generic strategies, including Cost Leadership, Differentiation, and Focus. At the time, a concept was introduced, i.e., the institutional success depends on determining its competitive strategy.
Basic education faces many challenges and changes that necessitate reviewing its objectives, philosophy, organizations, curricula, and relationship to the surrounding society. Facing such challenges is not limited to solving the existing problems because educational institutions suffer from ambiguity and lack of policies. Several negative aspects have been raised, including the failure to achieve the major and minor goals effectively, lack of correlation between education and long-term strategies, inefficient educational activities, lack of financial allocations, and lack of interest in student contribution to developing the local environment.
The future of basic education should be anticipated to handle the potential challenges. Additionally, basic education schools should pay attention to the comprehensive development of student personality in accordance with the requirements of the local and global society. Therefore, educational development and reform is an urgent social necessity sought by concerned bodies and institutions to develop new means that benefit society. In short, the development of education is the starting point of any sound social reform.
The great challenge faced by educational institutions, in general, and basic education schools, in particular, in the fast-evolving and conflicting world is that they have a significant value to the beneficiaries (parents and beneficiaries) and improve their performance. Thus, there should be an understanding of the needs of the parents. Schools should objectively decide how to balance their advantages, future opportunities, and the needs of parents and beneficiaries. This issue could not be achieved without adopting a clear strategy for its various activities through the differentiation strategy.
To conclude, the distinction of the educational institution results from the endeavor and investment of its properties (i.e., material, human, financial, and technological resources), as well as the ability to innovate, develop, and find alternatives. The competitive advantage is important because of its requirements for the coming stages. It is achieved if the product (specifications of the graduate- educational service) differs from others. Thus, the differentiation strategy is used, and success is achieved through the protection of differentiation.
Statement of the Problem
Basic education schools are in a fast-evolving and competitive environment locally, regionally, or globally. After the projects of quality and accreditation, educational institutions, aim to achieve excellence. Therefore, performance should be developed and improved to achieve the competitive advantage of the various basic education schools in Egypt.
Basic education schools encounter various problems. Thus, there is a gap between reality and expectations. In terms of material and human resources, there are many obstacles to basic education. Many schools lack classrooms, equipment, facilities, laboratories, activity areas, and professional and environmental services for teachers and staff.
The problem of the present study is defined in the importance of the basic education stage in terms of its challenges, obstacles, and problems at the level of performance, especially after the liberalization of international trade concerning services. Therefore, the aspects of the structure of the educational system should be reviewed. Currently, there is an urgent to search for non-traditional education that meets student needs and achieves social desires and objectives. The challenge is cultural, regardless of names or manifestations.
Questions of the study
The problem of the study has been defined by asking the following major question:
What are the requirements for achieving the competitive advantage of basic education institutions in the light of the differentiation strategy?
This question is subdivided into the following minor questions:
1- What is the appropriateness of the strategy of excellence for the
reform of basic education schools in Egypt?
2-What are the most important criteria and indicators of competitive
advantages for basic education schools in Egypt in light of the
strategy of excellence?
3-What are the most important requirements needed to achieve
competitive advantage, the challenges it may face, and the
mechanisms for achieving them?
4- What is the availability of criteria and indicators of competitive
advantages in basic education schools in Sohag Governorate?
5- What is the proposed perception of the most important
requirements for the competitive advantage of basic education
schools in light of the strategy of excellence and the mechanisms of
facing its obstacles?
Objectives of the study
1. Examine the appropriateness of the differentiation strategy to developing basic education schools in Egypt.
2. Highlight the most important competitive advantages of basic education schools in Egypt considering the differentiation strategy.
3. Develop an inventory of standards and indicators of achieving the competitive advantages in basic education schools in Egypt considering the differentiation strategy.
4. Define the reality of the competitive advantages in basic education schools in Sohag governorate based on the defined inventory.
5. Define the most important requirements for and obstacles to the competitive advantages in Sohag schools.
6. Develop the most important mechanisms of achieving the competitive advantages considering the differentiation strategy.
Significance
1. The study adds to the Arab and regional studies on competitive advantage.
2. It aims to develop the competitive advantages of basic education institutions scientifically.
3. It activates the differentiation strategy that has not receive due attention to examine the competitive advantage of basic education institutions to pave the way for the researchers and bodies concerned with the competitiveness of pre-university educational institutions.
4. It may benefit the concerned bodies by developing strategies that can promote the reality of the competitive advantage in educational institutions to achieve success and distinction.
5. It draws attention to the importance of competitive strategies in institutions, in general, and educational institutions, in particular, to highlight the need to adapt to the conditions of the surrounding environment.
6. It concludes significant requirements for achieving the competitive advantage and its indicators in pre-university educational institutions, in general, and basic education institutions, in particular.
7. It can help the officials of education and its policies identify the various aspects of a new important approach to the development of education, i.e., the differentiation strategy introduced by Michael Porter because it proved successful in many systems and institutions.
8. It helps identify the requirements for developing basic education and achieving the competitive advantage.
9. It paves the way for the researchers of the competitive advantage in basic education to identify its aspects and significant indicators, on one hand, and to promote this stage internationally, on the other hand.
10. It can help the officials of education and its policies identify the various aspects of a new approach to the development of education, i.e., the competitive advantage in basic education.
11. It addresses the most important educational stage, i.e., basic education because it is the basis of other educational stages.
Methodology of the study
The study adopted the descriptive approach, which is used to explore and highlight the characteristics, discuss, and define the relationships and surrounding stimuli of a phenomenon or situation. It employed this approach in
Collecting relevant literature to conclude the significant competitive advantages sought by educational institutions, as well as their success factors, inputs, and resources.
Its success, entries, and sources.
Utilizing relevant literature in preparing an inventory of standards and indicators to study the reality of the competitive advantages sought by basic education institutions.
Developing and applying a questionnaire of the defined standards and indicators.
Limits of the study
Subject Limits: Determining the requirements for achieving the competitive advantage of basic education institutions.
Spatial Limits: The study was applied in Sohag governorate where the researcher lives.
Human Limits: The study covered a sample of principals, deputy principals, and teachers of basic education and auditors of educational quality in the education directorate and administrations in Sohag governorate to whom the tools were applied.
Tools of the study
An inventory of the standards and indicators for achieving competitiveness in basic education schools developed by the researcher.
A questionnaire of measuring the reality of the competitive advantage in the light of the reviewed inventory of standards.
The requirements and obstacles to achieving the competitive advantage in the light of the differentiation strategy.
Procedures of the study
The study proceeds, as follows
1. Presenting the general framework of the study: It includes the introduction, statement of the problem, significance, objectives, method, limits, tools, definition of terms, review of the literature, and procedures of the study (Chapter One: General Framework).
2. Conducting an analytical study of basic education in Egypt in terms of (concept, objectives, and obstacles to achieving competitiveness), presenting the most important competitive strategies to achieve competitive advantage in basic education schools (i.e., Cost Leadership, Differentiation, and Focus), and presenting the differentiation strategy in terms of (concept, fields, significance, principles, advantages, steps, approaches, and requirements) (Chapter Two).
3. Carrying out a critical theoretical study of the most important competitive advantages sought by basic education schools and their role in resolving the problems of basic education problems in the light of the differentiation strategy and conducting a study of the most important standards and indicators to measure the competitive advantages of basic education schools in the light of the differentiation strategy (Chapter Three).
4. Carrying out a field study on the reality of the competitive advantages of basic education schools in the light of the standards and indicators set for basic education, the most important obstacles to the achievement of competitive advantage, and the most important educational requirements for achieving the competitive advantage and improving the educational performance of basic education schools in the light of the differentiation strategy (Chapter Four- Chapter Five).
5. Proposing a vision to help basic education schools adopt the selected competitive advantages, avoid the obstacles, and adhere to the most important reliable mechanisms (Chapter Six).