SCHOOL MANAGEMENT AS AN INVESTIGATIVE PRACTICE: CONTRIBUTIONS OF PAULO FREIRE'S THOUGHT TO A CRITICAL AND REFLECTIVE MANAGEMENT ACTION

Abstract

This article aims to discuss school management as an investigative practice, understanding the school manager as a reflective subject and producer of knowledge about the daily life of the school. Based on the thought of Paulo Freire and contemporary contributions from the field of educational management, the study defends research as an educational principle inseparable from managerial action. Methodologically, it is a qualitative research, of a bibliographic and analytical nature, constructed from the review of works that deal with critical pedagogy, research methodology, and school management, with an emphasis on the articulation between theory and practice. The results indicate that the adoption of an investigative posture by the school manager contributes to overcoming merely bureaucratic practices, favoring more critical, ethical, and contextualized decision-making processes. It is evident that research enables the manager to understand the school as a space for training, dialogue, and social transformation, strengthening democratic and participatory practices. It is concluded that school management, when guided by investigative principles, expands its capacity to intervene in educational reality, improving pedagogical work and contributing to the construction of a school committed to critical thinking and the emancipation of individuals, reaffirming the centrality of research in management practice.