Practical knowledge of school principals participants in a training device

Abstract

The article organises and presents the practical knowledge of school principals participants in a training program based on the analysis of their practice and leadership profiles. The conceptual framework of the study resumes the line of research on teacher thinkingrised during the 80’s of the past century. It particularly focuses on tacit knowledge that emerges from school principals’ experience. The study carried out a primary analysis of the conversations held in the training groups of the program, regarding the following dimensions: the difficulties faced in leadership practice, the imaginary representations, and the practical rules and principles revealed by the participants. Then, a secondary analysis of the meaningful texts identified in the primary analysis was carried out based on four thematic dimensions of school management knowledge, including: knowledge of the organization, knowledge of people and social relationships, knowledge of tasks, and emotions. Results and conclusions of the study were systematized and presented based on this scheme. The repertoire of practical knowledge organised and codified in this paper could benefit future school principals’ training programs as a basis to discuss and analyse the experience of the participants as school leaders.