Disengagement with school: classroom inVestigations as a possible solution

Journal Title: Problems of Education in the 21st Century - Year 2009, Vol 13, Issue 6

Abstract

We live in a highly complex society that presents its citizens with many challenges and problems. In order to respond it, by making informed decisions, citizens have to appropriate certain key competencies, for instance, reasoning, communication, life long learning, among others. So education has never been seen such a central issue to promote individual growth as nowadays, and also a central issue to enact societal and economical growth. Despite education playing a central role in the international agenda, the failure of the school systems to teach all the students has never been so visible. Nowadays, one of the greatest challenges is to provide an answer to those students who have dropped out of school, or to those who have disengaged from it. Several actions have been developed, some of which concern pedagogic actions. Activities based on investigations in science classes are seen nowadays as a way to enact key competencies, but also to involve students with their own learning. But, what make these activities so successful in getting to all students and, even more, to those who have disengaged from the school system? In this paper, we will discuss the impact of activities based on investigation in secondary students’ involvement with school. Its effcacy seems to be related to identity issues. By changing classroom practices and relationships, not only among teachers and students, but also between students and school knowledge, this kind of activity allows the students to reconstruct new identities, where they can envisage new future paths.

Authors and Affiliations

Sofa Freire, Mónica Baptista, Carolina Carvalho, Ana Freire, Teresa Oliveira, Mário Azevedo

Keywords

Related Articles

VERBAL ASSOCIATIONS OF BULGARIAN TEENAGERS FOR ‘NATURE’

This paper presents a part of a survey aimed at studying the content of the concept of ‘Nature’ in the linguistic mind of Bulgarian children and adolescents. The issue under study is: “Are there significant differences...

CURRICULUM COMPARISON OF THE TERTIARY EDUCATION PROGRAM OF CAPITOL UNIVERSITY FOR THE 2008-2009 GRADUATES

The study looked into the variances and differences of the two curricula of Capitol University College of Education for the graduates of Academic Year 2008-2009, and the performance of the graduates who opted to take t...

EDUCATION REFORM AND TEACHER AGENCY

The rapid change of technology, society, and economy creates pressure for education reform on a national level. In respond to the demand for quality improvement, educational organizations are engaging in educational inno...

NEW STRUCTURES IN PUBLIC EDUCATION CENTERS IN TURKEY

The purpose of this study is to determine what kind of reform will be provided by the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning, which was reconstructed in 2011, in their education policy based on theories of adult educat...

STUDENTS’ NEED FOR, AWARENESS, PERCEPTION AND USE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA

This research investigated students’ needs, awareness, perception and use of Guidance and Counselling Services (G&CS) in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). Simple random sampling technique was used t...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP34666
  • DOI -
  • Views 285
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Sofa Freire, Mónica Baptista, Carolina Carvalho, Ana Freire, Teresa Oliveira, Mário Azevedo (2009). Disengagement with school: classroom inVestigations as a possible solution. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 13(6), -. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-34666