EDUCATION AND SCHOOL MANAGEMENT: SOCIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS AND CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN DEMOCRACY AND RESULTS

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between sociological conceptions of education and contemporary models of school management, focusing on the tension and possibilities of integration between democratic management and results-oriented management. Based on the contributions of authors such as Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, Pierre Bourdieu, Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire, education is discussed as a social practice inserted in a contradictory dynamic: sometimes as an instrument of emancipation, sometimes as a mechanism for the reproduction of inequalities. The methodology adopted is of a qualitative nature, based on a critical bibliographic review, aiming to understand how different sociological currents interpret the role of school and educational management in capitalist society. The analysis shows that democratic management is anchored in collective participation and the autonomous construction of the pedagogical project, while results-oriented management emphasizes efficiency, goals and external evaluations. Although they start from different assumptions, both approaches offer relevant contributions to improving the quality of public education. The study concludes that an integrated management, capable of articulating listening, collective deliberation and strategic planning, represents a viable alternative to face the current challenges of Brazilian public schools. Overcoming dichotomies between democracy and efficiency is essential to guarantee a more equitable, critical education that is committed to the integral development of individuals.