This study aims at understanding the impact of investigative activities in Physics and Chemistry classes in the reconstruction of school identities. Three secondary classes of a professional education and train ing course were studied. 28 pupils with dramatic school failure records participated and were submited to focus groups interviews. A method of content analysis was carried in order to study quality of answers and argu ments presented. Data suggest that students' negative school identities, which cannot be re-evaluated in current school context, make them unwilling to learn and consider dropping out school. Besides, new curric ular and pedagogical experiences can facilitate school identity reconstruc tion and also the emergence of new ways to relate to school and to school knowledge.
science education; inquiry activities; identity; dropping out