YOUTH, SCHOOL AND WORK: MIDDLE SCHOOL TECHNICAL EDUCATION'S MEANING

ABSTRACT:

This paper is the result of a study about the relationship between youth, school and work and the meanings attributed by young students to Middle School Technical Education. A survey was conducted among young students/workers enrolled in public middle schools studying at night in Curitiba (Brazil) and its metropolitan area. It was developed in two stages: the first, quantitative and exploratory, included more than 4,000 students of 18 institutions; the second, qualitative, evaluated 4 fourth year technical middle schools' classes. Primary data was analyzed in face of the theoretical debates, educational legislation and theoretical and methodological discussions associated to the disputes for the last stage of basic education, allowing an approach to the meanings attributed by young students to middle school in general and, in particular, to technical education.

Keywords:
Middle school technical education. Middle school. Youth and education. Youth; school and work.