What term describes the obligation to take responsibility for actions and educational outcomes?

The term that best describes the obligation to take responsibility for actions and educational outcomes is accountability. Accountability encompasses a commitment to acknowledging, answering for, and accepting consequences for the results of one's decisions and actions. Within the educational landscape, this concept emphasizes the importance of educators, administrators, and systems being answerable for the performance, progress, and overall success of students.

While ownership and responsibility are related concepts, they do not capture the specific element of being held answerable to stakeholders—such as parents, the community, or educational authorities—that is central to the definition of accountability. Authority, on the other hand, pertains to the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience, but does not inherently include the implication of answering for one's actions or outcomes in an educational context.