Abstract
In this study, we aimed to raise the discussion about the meaning of secondary education for the students of the state educational network, having as theoretical reference the Historical-Cultural Psychology. Empirical data collected through individual interviews with eight high school students from two state colleges. The analyzes were based on theorizations of authors who deal with the subject in question, especially in the studies of Lev Semenovich Vigotski and Alexei Nikolaievich Leontiev. The results point to the absence of meanings related to the study activity, since the students do not attribute value to the learning itself. They point to personal relationships (friendships) and expectations of career success in the future as motivational factors for attending high school. Although participants say that attending high school is relevant to their lives, they are not clear about the importance of what they learn in it for their development, which results in the non-establishment of study activity, in the sense advocated by Leontiev.
Keywords:
High school; state public schools; historical-cultural Psychology