IN THE WORDS OF STUDENTS: FROM THE TRUTH OF SPACE TO THE SPACES OF TRUTH IN SCHOOL

Abstract

The article is the result of a master's research conducted in 2023 at a Basic Education school located in the Médio Vale do Itajaí/SC. The subjects of this research were 18 7th-grade students. Throughout our narrative, we explore governmentality and subjectivation processes in the school space, giving visibility to the students. The study investigates how the philosophical concepts of Michel Foucault can be used to problematize the school space, employing the methodology of Participatory Action Research (PAR) proposed by Fals-Borda (2009). The adopted methodology aimed to build a more horizontal relationship between the researcher and the subjects, following the contributions of PAR and emphasizing mutual interaction and transformation. The approach valued liberating education and active collaboration between educator and student – following Freirean principles – aligning with a democratic and engaged vision in the educational process. The results reveal that the school structure goes beyond the functional organization of space, conveying a complex semiology of aesthetic, cultural, and ideological symbols. It is concluded that school spaces carry devices that modulate perceptions and interactions (among all subjects who frequent them), highlighting school architecture as a crucial component in the construction of meanings and educational practices. We reflect on the processes of subjectivation and governmentality in Education, where the student is seen as a result of adherence to a learning model, which makes the school not only a place for the construction of knowledge but also for the development of technologies of governmentality.