2026-07-162026-07-162023-10-02https://repositorio.ifal.edu.br/handle/123456789/3119The present thesis has as its object of study the personal and professional trajectory of Geraldo Bastos Silva, through the analysis of his performance, seeking to understand how this intellectual contributed to the modernization of education and, more specifically, to secondary education in Brazil, in the 1950s and 1960s. To this end, the elaboration of the text was referenced in French Cultural History, based on the following categories of analysis: intellectual (Sirinelli, 1996; Miceli, 2001; Vieira, 2008), modernity (Faria Filho et al., 2012) and appropriation (Chartier, 1995; 2002). It also sought to characterize the historical, political, economic, cultural and social scenarios, in order to elucidate the character assumed by Brazilian secondary education from its historical bases until the end of the 1960s. Such assumptions allowed the understanding of Geraldo Bastos Silva as individual belonging to a certain time, as well as the understanding of his trajectory from the analysis of his actions, so that at the end of the research it was possible to affirm his condition as an intellectual, engaged in the assumptions of the New School, which prevailed in Brazil at the time. For the elaboration of the research and carrying out the analyzes necessary to fulfill the objective, bibliographic research and documentary research were used. The theoretical framework used made it possible to constitute and examine the selected sources, enabling the understanding of the educator from Alagoas as a prominent pedagogue, educator and researcher in the history of Brazilian education. From the material collected, especially the books he authored, it was possible to map his most significant actions, from his training at the Faculty of Philosophy of Brazil to his work at the Ministry of Education, in actions and projects of the Board of Secondary Education, during the course of focus period. Finally, it is possible to conclude that Geraldo Bastos Silva effectively contributed to Brazilian education, especially to secondary education, spreading ideas of modernization of this level of education. His work, together with other intellectuals, sought to promote a modern and quality public education available to all.porAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 BrazilEducaçãoEnsino secundárioGeraldo Bastos SilvaIntelectuais da educaçãoModernizaçãoEducationHigh schoolIntellectuals of educationModernizationTeseCIENCIAS HUMANAS:EDUCACAO