The recent figures of education in Brazil reveal poor student performance in primary and secondary education, which are the foundation of higher education. This scenario was the main motivation for the development of the exploratory approach presented in this article. Based on dimensions and criteria present in scientific studies and on the use of a method of decision support (ELECTRE TRI) and Quartiles analysis, the proposed approach aimed to evaluate and rank the quality of an institution of secondary education, according to the perceptions of faculty and students. Through a study carried out in a campus of a Federal Institute of Technology Education, Cronbach's alpha coefficient (1951) was used to measure the reliability of the questionnaires, and the Quartiles analysis was used to determine the most critical items. The results indicate that the questionnaires are valid and reliable. The learning deficit accumulated by students at previous levels of education, lack of interest in participating in classes and in deeply understanding the content of disciplines, as well as lack of homework completion are some critical items perceived by teachers. On the other hand, lack of clarity in the explanation of content of disciplines, lack of control of the class and the frequency of use of laboratories and audiovisual resources are some of the most critical items perceived by students. In developing this exploratory approach to the evaluation and diagnosis of secondary education institutes, we hope to contribute with the managers of such institutions so that precise actions to improve the quality of secondary education can be planned and carried out by official bodies.
Secondary education institutions; ELECTRE TRI; Quality ranking; Quality services
