Democratic assumptions in relationships with others and mentoring of school principals

Abstract

Social, cultural, and economic transformations have expanded the demands on school principals, who now perform increasingly complex functions. This article aims to present the results of a research study conducted in Brazil between 2020 and 2023, titled "Methodology and Training in Mentorship for School Principals." The investigation is based on mentorship training for school principals, drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Collaborative Culture, Active Listening, and Relationship with Knowledge. This exploratory study was developed in two distinct phases. The first phase consisted of two stages: (1) a qualitative study covering Basic Education, conducted through a questionnaire sent to 136 000 principals registered with Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisa Educacionais; and (2) a quantitative study that analyzed the responses from the previous stage, resulting in a new questionnaire with 40 objective questions. The sample from these two stages included 2 000 principals, ensuring representation from all five regions of Brazil, with in-depth data collection through focus groups. Following the analysis of the first phase, the second phase was initiated — participatory action research with two training proposals. The first, titled Mentorship for School Principals, lasted three months and included the participation of ten principals and two education department technicians from ten states. The second, called Mentorship in Practice, spanned ten months and involved ten mentor principals and 120 mentee principals. The study concludes that this approach enhances more democratic and collaborative school management, fostering meaningful learning experiences and promoting democratic environments in Brazilian public schools.