The body ... an eclipse in the education process learning

Abstract

The present article stems from research conducted by an investigation team belonging to the Department of Psychopedagogy at the National University of Comahue, Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina. This study explored aspects of the teaching-learning process in the classroom, specifically focusing on the understanding—or lack thereof—of the body's role for both students and educators. The presence of the students' bodies in their learning was framed within the theoretical construct of the psychic singularity of the learner (Benbenaste, 1995-1996). This construct posits a conception of the learning subject who, besides being intelligent, is also a symbolic being; thus, their potential to learn depends on the meaning they attribute to their own body. To investigate the presence of educators' bodies in the teaching-learning process, we drew upon developments in critical pedagogy, especially the concept of body/subject (Mac Laren, 1994; 1997). This concept highlights the deep imbrication and interaction between body and subjectivity. The qualitative methodology employed in our investigations allowed us to use different techniques for working with both students and educators. We conducted clinical interviews with students, workshops on corporal implication, and critical interrogation with educators, along with classroom observations. These methods underscored the interaction of the body/subject for both students and educators. In the development of this work, we aimed to account for the relevant issues concerning the body's presence—or the lack of awareness thereof—as an eclipse to be unveiled in the teaching-learning process.