THE TEENAGERS’ RELATION TO PHILOSOPHY LESSONS AT HIGH SCHOOL

Abstract

This paper has as main reference the research project entitled Philosophy, Teen Culture and High School, in curse since March, 2004 at Centro de Educação, UFSM. This research has an empiric base and pays particular attention to teachers and students who attend Philosophy classes in three public schools of Santa Maria. Moreover, it is composed of bibliographical research concerning topics related to the teaching of Philosophy and the contemporary culture, more specifically the juvenile cultures. During 2005, tabulations of the 320 questionnaires were accomplished, changed into graphs and analyzed carefully. Collective Interviews with groups of eight students from each different level and interviews with the teachers of the involved schools were made. The goals to be reached are: identification and analysis of the representations and of the students' practices in relation to Philosophy lessons; identification and analysis of the representations and of the Philosophy teachers' practices, concerning their students, their classes and their school. The question which guides our work is the following: how do students from some public high schools conceive Philosophy lessons, and how do they interact with the juvenile culture, the school culture and the philosophical knowledge in their daily school?