Between the Philosophical Axes - The Philophical Coverage of the Brazilian National High School Test (ENEM) in Terms of the Complementary Guidelines to the National Curricular Parameters (PCN+)

Sep 5, 2026

This article examines how themes proposed for high school philosophy by the Complementary Guidelines to the National Curricular Parameters (PCN+) were reflected in philosophy items of Brazil’s National High School Exam (Enem). Seventy-three Humanities questions from Enem tests published between 1998 and 2018 were identified and classified according to which PCN+ components they mobilized. Quantitative and qualitative analysis across the exam’s editions highlights challenges and possibilities for implementing curriculum normative frameworks during the transition to the New High School Curriculum and BNCC, emphasizing integration, interdisciplinarity, and autonomy. Concluding remarks indicate attention points for philosophy’s continuity as the exam is being reformulated.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Method and data

Analysis and findings

Implications for curriculum reform

1 EDUR • Educação em Revista. 2023; 39:e36255 DOI: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0102-469836255t](http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0102-469836255t) Preprint [https://doi.org/10.1590/SciELOPreprints.1901](https://doi.org/10.1590/SciELOPreprints.1901) [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) ARTIGO BETWEEN THE PHILOSOPHICAL AXES: THE PHILOPHICAL COVERAGE OF THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL TEST (ENEM) IN TERMS OF THE COMPLEMENTARY GUIDELINES TO THE NATIONAL CURRICULAR PARAMETERS (PCN+) ESTER PEREIRA NEVES DE MACEDO¹ ORCID: [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1908-7279](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1908-7279)[ ](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1908-7279)<[ester. macedo@inep.gov.br](ester. macedo@inep.gov.br)> ¹ Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira (Inep) . Brasília, Distrito Federal (DF), Brasil. ABSTRACT: This article examines how the themes proposed for philosophy at the high school level by the Complementary Guidelines to the Brazilian National Curricular Parameters (Orientações Complementares aos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais – PCN+) were materialized in philosophy questions in Brazilian National High School Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio – Enem) . In order to do so, 73 Humanities questions in the Enem tests betweeen 1998 and 2018 were identified as containing primarily philosophical topics. Then, each of these questions were classified in terms of the components of the PCN+ Parametres which it mobilized. By means of an analysis of the quantititative and qualitative coverage of the philosophy component of the exam through the years, this article illustrates some challenges and possibilities that the tests present to the implementation of curriculum normatives. This discussion is particularly important at this moment, when a new Enem is underconstruction, to adjust to the New High School Curriculum and the new National Common Core (BNCC), especially considering the emphasis that these documents place on concepts such as integration, interdisciplinarity, and autonomy as means to overcome fragmentation, be it between forms of knowledge, between people, between theory and practice. To conclude, I present a few indications about how these reflections contribute to flag points of attention relative to the continuing presence of philosophy in the exam considering its imminent reformulation. Keywords: high school philosophy, Brazilian National High School Exam (Enem), curriculum documents, Brazilian Common Core (BNCC), Complementary Guidelines to the Brazilian National Curriculam Parameters (PCN+) . ENTRE EIXOS: FILOSOFIA NO ENEM A PARTIR DAS ORIENTAÇÕES COMPLEMENTARES AOS PARÂMETROS CURRICULARES NACIONAIS (PCN+) 1 RESUMO: Este artigo analisa os eixos temáticos que as Orientações Complementares aos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN+) apresentam para a filosofia no ensino médio, de forma a verificar como 1 The translation of this article into English was funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas GeraisFAPEMIG, through the program of supporting the publication of institutional scientific journals. Educação em Revista|Belo Horizonte|v. 39|e36255|2023 2 esses eixos se materializaram em situações-problemas em itens de filosofia ao longo dos vinte anos entre a criação do exame, em 1998, e a publicação da Base Nacional Comum Curricular, em 2018 . Para estapesquisa, foram examinadas as edições do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Enem) entre 1998 e 2018 e identificados 73 itens de Ciências Humanas com temáticas e abordagens compatíveis com o ensino defilosofia nesta etapa. Para cada um desses itens, buscou-se identificar qual aspecto dos PCN+ para afilosofia foi mobilizado, tabulando-se os quantitativos totais para cada um dos elementos acionados dos PCN+ para filosofia ao longo de vinte edições do exame. Por meio de uma análise da evolução de quantitativo e cobertura de itens de filosofia ao longo dessas du

FAQs

How does the article connect PCN+ philosophy themes to Enem questions?

It identifies 73 Humanities questions with primarily philosophical topics and classifies each question by the PCN+ philosophy components it mobilizes, then analyzes how coverage evolves across editions.

Which time span and set of questions are examined?

The study examines Enem editions between 1998 and 2018 and uses 73 philosophy-related items drawn from Humanities tests.

What challenges and possibilities does the analysis highlight?

It shows challenges and possibilities for implementing curriculum normative frameworks, focusing on the quantitative and qualitative coverage of the philosophy component over time.

Sep 5, 2026

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