The Best Public Education in Brazil: Considerations From Behavior Analysis of Culture in the Educational System of Sobral

Abstract

Level of education is understood as one of the relevant factors that indicate the development of a society. In Brazil, recent results have pointed out the success of the public education system of the city of Sobral in the state of Ceara, which, in 2017, had the best performance in the country. Given that, it seems relevant to investigate such educational strategies. I analyzed the public education system of Sobral using metacontingency and cultural design as units of analysis. I consulted the city’s educational legislation that was created between January 2001 and May 2020, totaling 12 laws. As a result, I found two metacontingencies, one related to the reformulation of the educational reality of the city and the other regarding the current public education system. In this respect, the actions of several individuals and entities (interlocking contingencies) resulted in the functioning of the public network and the consequent performance of the students (aggregate products), as shown by periodical teaching evaluations (cultural consequence). Additionally, I identified the rearrangement of environmental conditions (both antecedent and subsequent) for the promotion of the cultural practices responsible for the city’s public education system and the consequent long-term results obtained in the educational field. Such deliberate interventions consisted of adequate cultural design. I hope that the conducted analysis and discussions may encourage professionals in public policy to investigate and design effective educational strategies, which in turn may impact the quality of life and the development of society.