SPEECH, SPACE, AND COEXISTENCE: A CASE STUDY WITH FIRST-YEAR SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL

Abstract

This article presents a case study conducted during a supervised internship in a first-year high school class at a public school in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul. The objective was to analyze how oral participation and the organization of the classroom in a circle contributed to the construction of more horizontal, dialogic, and collaborative pedagogical practices in the teaching of Sociology. The research adopted a qualitative approach, using participant observation and field diaries—produced over 20 face-to-face meetings with the class—as the main methodological instruments. The results showed that intense student participation, combined with the spatial arrangement in a circle (autonomously chosen by them), favored engagement in activities, the strengthening of bonds between subjects, and the collective construction of knowledge. Classroom interactions were marked by active listening, student protagonism, and the valuation of the students' daily experiences. The study concludes that pedagogical practices based on dialogue, listening, and student autonomy are fundamental to promoting a more sensitive, democratic, and formative learning environment. The experience demonstrated that even in challenging school contexts, it is possible to develop emancipatory educational practices through small everyday actions.