Governance Assessment of Basic Education in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: Bearing in mind the Sustainable Development Goals guidelines, the objective was to assess the governance process in Brazilian basic education by applying Oliveira, Nunes & Guerra’s instrument (2020). Method: This study was based on 1) a factorial analysis of the dimensionality of an instrument by Oliveira et al. (2020), and 2) an empirical analysis of its application to a sample of 511 basic education leaders, managers, and board members in Brazil. Originality/Relevance: This study reports on an empirical assessment of governance in Brazilian basic education. The findings both represent the reality of state and municipal managers included in the sample and contribute to validating an instrument that taps into the governance process in Brazilian basic education. Results: The instrument was validated with 4 constructs, namely: institutionalization, participatory engagement, institutional design, and quality of participatory processes. Such constructs are consistent with the Governance Analytical Framework (GAF) and indicate factors that promote quality education in Brazil. Theoretical/Methodological contributions: The survey answers showed that formal social norms explain the dynamics of the governance process in Brazil.