SWOT ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR DEMOCRATIC EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This research aimed to understand how the SWOT matrix can be used as a strategic tool for critically analyzing the educational reality in public schools, articulating internal and external elements that influence their institutional processes. The study is based on the understanding that school management requires instruments capable of offering an integrated view of its functioning by contextualizing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A bibliographic review was conducted using authors who address strategic planning, evaluation culture, and participatory management, with emphasis on the contributions of Figueiredo and Silva (2023), Moura and Albuquerque (2024), and Rocha and Farias (2023). The results indicate that SWOT analysis, when carried out collectively and critically, enhances school decision-making and planning, avoiding superficial or technocratic diagnoses. By recognizing both the structural and symbolic dimensions of the school, the tool proves capable of guiding more conscious and evidence-based actions, promoting a management model more committed to the real conditions of the school community. It is concluded that the SWOT matrix, when used as a formative and political practice, contributes to strengthening institutional autonomy and democratic culture in public education.