Organizational change in education systems: an understanding by using of social network analysis

Abstract

This study falls within the field of knowledge of public policies, considering the implementation of policies of decentralized nature, aimed at improving the quality of education as a process of organizational change in educational systems. This paper aims to analyze the interferences of the social networks of communication among the leaders of the Regional Directorate of Education located in Caetité and Brumado, Bahia, and directors of public state schools located in those cities in processes of organizational change observed in those schools. The methodology used in this investigation included the application of an instrument for primary data collection, involving social networks composed by 41 actors, as well as the processing and analysis of data through the software UCINET and NetDraw. The analyses of the structures of communication social networks investigated indicates that there is a tendency to facilitate the process of organizational change inherent to the implementation of policies aimed at strengthening school autonomy in the public state schools of Caetité, for the existence of denser, more centralized, connected and characterized by more intense relations. The data shows a tendency to development of communication relations in Caetitéthat allow the sharing of experiences and discussion of possible strategies for coping with various problems affecting the school management, teaching and learning.