PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the challenges and possibilities of implementing participatory management in schools, investigating how it can impact the quality of the educational process. The research was conducted through a qualitative approach, characterized as a bibliographic review. Several works that address the concept of participatory management, its benefits, challenges and examples of practices applied in different school contexts were analyzed. The results indicated that, when well implemented, participatory management contributes to the improvement of the school environment, promoting greater engagement of educators, students and parents in school decisions, which reflects on effective pedagogical practices and the construction of a democratic environment. However, significant challenges were identified, such as cultural resistance to change, lack of adequate capacity building, and overburdened educators' responsibilities. The analysis showed that these challenges can be overcome through strategies such as the continuous training of educators, the creation of spaces for dialogue and institutional support. The final considerations pointed out that participatory management, although it promotes improvements in educational quality, requires a significant structural change in schools, as well as research to explore how this model can be implemented in different educational contexts.