O isomorfismo institucional na educação pública: uma análise da implementação do PDDE na mesorregião do Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba

Abstract

i) Context: this research was guided by the concept of institutional isomorphism developed by DiMaggio and Powel (1983), which guided the analysis of the process of change and adaptation of organizations to institutional standards. Institutional isomorphism, sometimes implemented by the state through public policies, has led public management and, likewise, public education towards a homogeneous management model, with control and evaluation mechanisms, rewards and punishments for performance, and accountability. In this process, programs like the PDDE treat public schools as homogeneous, with consequences for societies and the development of different regions. ii) Objective: To analyse the consequences of implementing public education policy programs with homogeneous models and procedures, such as the PDDE, for societies and regional development in the state of Minas Gerais. iii) Method: to elaborate the research problem and investigative propositions, a theoretical discussion was drawn up with topics on management models in public education, institutional isomorphism in organizations and schools, and some applied studies related to these topics. Based on the theoretical discussion, the main investigative propositions were public policy programs for educational accountability, such as the PDDE, implement institutional isomorphism in public education; and institutional isomorphism in public education has consequences for society and the development of different regions of the same state. The research was carried out in two phases: a first phase, with the analysis of mixed secondary data, obtained through a documentary survey and about the School Census and the execution of PDDE financial resources in the years 2023 and 2024 of the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaiba mesoregion; and a second phase, with the analysis of qualitative data, obtained through semi-structured interviews with school actors and other subjects, from state and municipal schools, selected in the first phase of the research; and, still in the second phase, with the analysis of data from interviews with those responsible for the PDDE in Executing Entities. iv) Results: public education policies and their programs, such as the PDDE, can be seen as individual efforts by the state to deal rationally with uncertainties and resource restrictions, and are the cause and consequence of institutional homogeneity in public schools. In turn, this homogeneity present in the PDDE leads to ever greater bureaucratization and rationalization, conducted like an iron cage at an accelerated pace. This homogeneity of procedures, norms and practices also has consequences for society and the regions involved, which are configured as challenges and opportunities for institutional isomorphism in public schools. These challenges and opportunities are perceived from the managerialism implemented by the PDDE management model and the program's influence on the development of different regions. The findings about the PDDE show that the challenges of providing education to the Brazilian population arise from the specificities and different educational and regional demands, which go against the globalized reform implemented by the state and the homogeneity it induces. And among the opportunities of institutional isomorphism in public education is the possibility of reframing accountability in Brazil, until then understood as accountability and evaluation, into government accountability, with standards aimed at saving public resources and with democratic values. This opportunity for re-signification arises from the association of three points: (i) the guarantee of these values to public education in Brazilian legislation, such as the Constitution, LDB and PNE; (ii) the opportunity for improvement brought about by the financial resources of the PDDE, perceived and experienced in public schools; and (iii) other possible ways of evaluating these resource transfer programs - such as looking inside schools and evaluating results and performance according to social demands and values in improving educational quality and equity. Therefore, among the consequences of the institutional isomorphism implemented in public education by the PDDE for society and the development of different regions, it was possible to observe that, in a two-way street, there are opportunities and challenges; and that the isomorphism implemented, by not helping to reduce uncertainties and scarcity in some less favoured regions or public schools, reinforces their adoption of isomorphism as efforts to confront this scenario. v) Adherence of the research to the PPGAdm’s area of concentration (Regionality and Management) and to the Society, Development and Regionality line of research: this study looked at the relationship between organizations and society - public educational policies and their programs, such as the PDDE, and their impact on society and the development of different regions of the same state. In addition, the research was aimed at understanding the social and cultural changes in the contemporary world, by investigating how these programs and policies are experienced by interest groups in state and municipal public schools in the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaiba mesoregion. vi) Impact and innovative character in intellectual production: the impact and innovative character in the intellectual production of this research is due to the combination, in the investigative process, of the concept of institutional isomorphism from Institutional Theory - more specifically sociological institutionalism, whose starting point is the homogeneity of practices and arrangements in organizations (DiMaggio; Powel, 1991) - with the process of implementing and executing public accountability policies and their programs in public education. The combined investigation of institutional isomorphism and public education policies focused on the regional development and society of the intermediate regions of the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaiba mesoregion and made it possible to investigate the experience of an education resource distribution program, such as the PDDE, in public schools. vii) Economic, social and regional impact: the economic, social and regional impact lies in the analysis of the research involving the use of financial resources from educational public policy programs, in such a way that they contribute to the development and educational equity of different regions of the same state, as well as helping to ensure that these resources return to those involved - such as students, local businesses in small towns, the community. viii) Regional implications: this research made it possible to observe the influence that educational public policy programs, such as the PDDE, can have on the development of disadvantaged regions. It also highlighted the difficulty small municipalities have in retaining the funds from this program, due to the lack of structure in local businesses, as well as the fact that more funds are allocated to the more favoured regions of the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaiba mesoregion, when considering the enrolment criteria for calculating these transfers. ix) Sustainable Development Goals met in the research: protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, by analysing the use of financial resources passed on by public educational policy programs in order to collaborate with the development and educational equity of different regions of the same state and to collaborate so that these resources return to those involved - such as students, local businesses in small towns, the community.