School youth, schooling, and school Geography: youth experiences in a small town in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the relationships between young students living in a small town in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and their school institution, focusing on their perceptions of School Geography. The research adopts a qualitative approach, with data production carried out through a Focus Group and a Conversation Circle with Secondary School students from a public state school. The results reveal an ambivalent relationship with the school, recognized as a central space but marked by precarious conditions and institutional tensions. Regarding School Geography, a sense of distance is observed, although students acknowledge its potential for understanding the lived world. It is concluded that listening to school youth, especially in the context of small towns, makes it possible to understand the school as a lived and contested space, highlighting challenges and possibilities for School Geography.