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Political culture, school performance and Science Education: an empirical study under Pierre Bourdieu's theory

Abstract:

Discussions about politics and economics are not present in high school science classes, thus they remain restricted in most cases to the context of Human Sciences. This sometimes leads to disinterest and alienation among young people regarding political, economic and social issues. In this paper, we intend to emphasize that the students' lack of interest in politics may be associated with their school performance, especially in the case of students of lower social classes. Therefore, we use as empirical data the answers to a questionnaire which were provided by candidates in the largest large-scale exam in Brazil, used as a form of admission to public universities. Next, we will use the theoretical work of Pierre Bourdieu to justify the relations among politics, economics and school results. In addition, we will discuss how Science Education can contribute to narrow the gap between political culture and school culture.

Keywords:
Science teaching; Secondary school; School culture; Political alienation; School performance

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação para a Ciência, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências, campus de Bauru. Av. Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Campus Universitário - Vargem Limpa CEP 17033-360 Bauru - SP/ Brasil , Tel./Fax: (55 14) 3103 6177 - Bauru - SP - Brazil
E-mail: revista@fc.unesp.br