STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF ASSESSMENT: BETWEEN PARADIGMS OF REGULATION AND EMANCIPATION

Abstract

Within a context marked by social inequality and elevated levels of anxiety among young people, it is essential to understand the meanings attributed to assessment practices and the impacts they generate on students. This study aims to examine the interpretations and significances ascribed to Mathematics assessments, and how students’ perceptions are articulated in relation to mechanisms of symbolic power and the ideologies embedded within the school environment. The research adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in the theoretical perspectives of Bourdieu, Apple, and Giroux, as well as in the Discursive Textual Analysis developed by Moraes and Galiazzi. Data were obtained through a questionnaire completed by 58 students from a public secondary school. Three analytical categories emerged from the corpus: emotional impacts and self-esteem; social and familial relationships; and the function and meaning of assessments. The findings suggest that students frequently associate assessments with feelings of fear, frustration, and inferiority, often internalising academic failure as a form of personal inadequacy. The influence of familial context and the availability of cultural capital also shape their experiences with Mathematics. The majority of participants perceive assessments not primarily as tools to support learning, but rather as instruments of control and selection.