THE INTERNALIZATION OF PERFORMATIVITY BY CHILDREN: LOGICS OF FABRICATION OF THE GOOD PUPIL AT PRIMARY SCHOOL

ABSTRACT

The academic performance of students has become a central concern, in the context of the change in the regulation of educational systems. To what extent is the ideology of performativity being internalized by Portuguese primary school children? The analysis of interviews with 3rd year students from three schools, about what defines a good student, points to three logics: i) that of natural aptitudes for learning, ii) that of traditional school work and iii) that of competitive school work. The first two evidence the permanence of the school model typical of the first modernity; the competitive school logic points to the early reconfiguration of the pupil metier within the framework of an educational mandate anchored in the values of performance and individualization.

Keywords:
Pupil metier; School work; Primary school pupil; Schooling models; Academic excelence