Saberes de diretores escolares: conhecimentos, experiências práticas e relacionais

Abstract

The present research aims to analyze the balance of knowledge of principals who have passed public examinations, of the staff of a Municipal Department of Education (SME) of a medium-sized municipality in São Paulo, to verify how they knowledge should be constituted for the performance of their functions. The problem of the investigation was related to the issue of the filling of positions of Brazilian principals and to the understanding that there are figures of learning in theoretical, practical, and relational knowledge, according to Charlot's Relationship with knowledge (2000). This qualitative research, with an exploratory approach, conducted an empirical part with a methodology divided into two stages: the first, called Balance of Knowledge (Charlot, 2000) and, the second, Focal Group. Ten directors were invited to participate, each director represented one of the ten administrative regions of the SME. The data were analyzed and divided into three constellations/dimensions, according to the theory of Relationship with Knowledge: 1) Knowledge of the profession: validation and understanding of the functions of the principal; 2) Technical-rational knowledge: needs of the organization and of the school daily life; 3) Knowledge of coexistence: conflict situations, dialogue and active listening. It is concluded that the school principals who participated in the research constituted and constitute theoretical, practical, and relational knowledge when they validate their functions, mainly related to technical-rational doing. When they face difficulties in relational dealings, conflicts, or school violence, they use theoretical foundations that they would acquire in their training, but always valuing practical and relational activities, which are the drivers of their decisions.