Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology as a Framework for Educational Research

Abstract

This article provides a philosophical examination of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology, specifically focusing on its methodological applications and implications for educational research. Utilizing phenomenological principles, we investigate various methodological dimensions related to the study of the body, including the intentionality of consciousness, phenomenological reduction, and intersubjectivity, all within the framework of a sensitive logic that offers an alternative approach to knowledge construction. We illustrate the application of the phenomenological approach through an analysis of research in early childhood education, with particular reference to a study conducted by Marina Marcondes Machado. This exploration offers a theoretical and methodological contribution by elucidating the relationships between bodily perception, the intentionality of consciousness, and intersubjectivity, all of which serve as expressive elements in educational research. The child's experience is presented as a polysemic resource for understanding phenomenology, especially in relation to the body, play, and creative activities, as these elements are intertwined with the sensitive logic central to the phenomenological method.