PROFILE AND ROLE OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: WHAT THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH SAYS

Abstract

This article presents the results of a bibliographic survey on research regarding the school principal in public schools from 2001 to 2020. The guiding question sought to answer what the research reveals about the school principal during this period, with a focus on studies about their profile and role in the school. The research was conducted using the following databases: Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) and Catalog of Theses and Dissertations from Capes. To conduct the survey, the following descriptors were established: school principal, school management, role of the principal, and profile of the principal. The survey originated from a master's research on principals of municipal public schools, whose theoretical frameworks emphasize the need for school management that aims at transformative education. The results of the survey demonstrate the prevalence of research that focuses on the principal's everyday work in the school, highlighting the challenges for the integration of different aspects of the role (such as pedagogical and administrative) and the intensification of the principal's work through the implementation of a managerial management model. Finally, it is argued that there is a need for more studies that address the principal as the subject of investigation, seeking to understand the profile of the individuals, their experiences, and difficulties in the role, considering the relevance of this professional as the coordinator of the school's pedagogical proposal.