Gestão democrática : um estudo a partir das representações sociais das diretoras das escolas públicas municipais de São Leopoldo - RS

Abstract

This research investigates the social representations of school principals on democratic management, focusing on the processes that produce such representations: objectification and anchoring. LDB/96, the political project of teaching and experience in school management are the privileged frameworks of analysis. Data collection was performed by analyzing the documents, by semistructured interviews and by observation. A group of three school administrators related to the municipal school of São Leopoldo-RS cooperate with us. The criteria used, besides those of qualitative representation, were: having at least two years of effective exercise in the selected schools; being teachers Sao Leopoldo city schools; having reached the position of principal through election process. The research design is qualitative, and its main theoretical reference is the critical paradigm, supported by the ideas of the authors: Serge Moscovici, Jamil C. Cury, Werle, Lück, Maia, Lebanon, Ball, Jenny Ozga, Benno Sander, Triviños, among others. In the process of data analysis, we identified three categories. The actions: rights of all, decisions of a few; the duties of principals: a back and forth game; the external guidelines: to perform and to enforce. The research suggests that female principals aim to the concept of democratic management in the way of making through meetings, and anchor this way of doing by promoting participation. This mechanism may be supported on the belief that participation happens in the meetings. Regarding the way they externalize or reproduce this concept - linked to the democratic management, hearing all people involved; sharing information, being present and opening paths in order to reconcile the school goals with those of City Departament of Education about the school organization -we understand this representation as a way of surviving in the function.