The city:Childhood perception and experiences

Abstract

The research process  is  formalized through  the  development  in  the  Masters in  Social  Studies  from  the National  Pedagogic University, in the line named: “Social construction  of  the  space” (2008-2010). This process starts with the uncertainties gathered by the investigator from his teaching experience  of  geography  at  the  school  and  from  the  research  outcomes  about  the  teaching geography  in  the  development  of  spatial  thought  based  on  the  construction  of  geographical concepts. Thus,  the  problem  of  investigation  is  aimed  at  recognizing  how  students  (between ages  of  10  and  12)  perceive  the  concept  of  a  City,  at  the  Foundation  Colombia  High School, located at Usaquén County in Bogota. Through their daily spatial experiences and perceptions. Within  this  framework, theorical  contributions  about  the  category  of  township,  daily  life  and mental  representation are  addressed, supported  by  the  epistemological  approach  of  the geography  of  perception.  This paper presents the results obtained from the implementation of some of the tools designed (survey, interview) which seek to identify and characterize the daily experiences that students have about the City. Then, an analysis is made on how children (boys and girls) view the city, what images they build from their daily experiences, the references they use, and how they build it, that is, how is the process of configuration as city dwellers –builders of the same city.