Middle school students in the afternoon shift: their school experiences in a context framed by educational inequality

Abstract

This article presents research results from a study focused on analyzing the school experiences of middle school students in the afternoon shift in a context framed by educational inequality. It is based on François Dubet's concept of social experience, which considers three logics of action: integration, strategy, and subjectivation. This is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews. The results show that middle school students in the afternoon shift are integrated into their environment, and the strategies that each one puts into play are precisely to integrate with their peers, teachers, and principals. It was identified that, through these experiences, their integration into school life gradually gains ground so that, in this process, they construct the meaning they give to the school and their studies. Furthermore, it was found that the stigmas held by their parents, teachers, principals, and their peers from the opposite shift do not prevent students from being subjects of their own school life but are instead considered as an opportunity to drive them to be subjects with defined goals and objectives, despite the existence of unequal opportunities. In conclusion, the central tensions encountered come from the outside, from the family or the school itself; however, the students interviewed can resolve these tensions. Middle school students in the afternoon shift strive alongside their peers to get their degree regardless of social stigmas.