As finalidades educativas escolares a partir das percepções dos jovens-alunos e os desafios da escola na atualidade

Abstract

This qualitative research project emerged within the research group CEPId, at PUC-SP, and its general objective was to investigate the aims of school education (FEE) and the challenges of school nowadays, as perceived by young students in Middle School, from public and private schools in the State of São Paulo. Our thesis is that it is essential to listen to young students - their perceptions and expectations - about school in order to move towards understanding the FEE. Once these aims of school education are clear, we can find ways to rethink what school we want, and most importantly need, nowadays. The specific objectives focused on identifying the young students’ perceptions and expectations about the FEE and relating them to those expressed by authors, schools, and regulatory documents in Brazil. In addition, we sought to analyze the place of knowledge at school and students’ relationships with school and such knowledge. From the data analysis, we mapped out some of the challenges of school nowadays. A careful literature review was conducted. The theoretical framework consists of studies on the FEE (FIALA, 2007; LENOIR et al., 2016; LIBÂNEO, 2012; 2016a; 2016b; 2016c; 2019; NODDINGS, 2007; 2013) and on the youth condition (ABRAMOVAY, 2015; DAYRELL, 2007; 2009). Twelve Talking Circles were held (WARSCHAUER, 2004; 2017) at 3 schools, with 82 young students. To outline the analytical dimensions, we relied on the categorization of the FEE (FIALA, 2007; LENOIR, 2016). For the interpretation and discussion of the data, we used the theoretical-methodological approach of prose analysis (ANDRÉ, 1983). We set ourselves the task of designing a Chart of Aims of School Education - Youths in Brazil, with 5 key FEE among them, as analytical categories: school for life, school for studying, school for school socialization, school for social living, and school for the job market. During the Circles, we noticed the invisibility of what we called powerful scientific knowledge. After analyzing educational policy documents, we observed the predominance of a neoliberal view, with an immediate results-oriented curriculum, and this was confirmed by the speech of young students. To achieve the good school, we believe it is necessary to: (1) rethink and re-discuss the diverse FEE, based on different perceptions, (2) recover a political-educational effort that balances three protagonists - students, teachers, and powerful scientific knowledge, and (3) consider educators’ training aims. In this way, we can face the challenges of school nowadays