The images that Social Representations reveal: an integrative analysis of academic production and specialized literature

The aim of this article is to explore academic studies in the field of Education that investigate converging themes between the Theory of Social Representations and the Theory of Images. To this end, a selection was made of academic papers available on the Theses and Dissertations Database of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) from 2019 to 2023. This selection made it possible to develop an integrative review that interlocutor data from theoretical and empirical literature, through dialog with authors who explore the theme of Images in different areas of knowledge- Panofsky (1976), Belting (2007), Debray (1993), Dondis (2015), Campos (2011), Lima and Campos (2020), Ferreira (2015) and others. The analyses resulted in the identification of limitations in the use of theoretical bases for the study of images, involving patterns, gaps and trends in the theories investigated, which revealed what helped to understand a broader phenomenon: the limited use of theoretical bases, mainly involving the study of Images in academic works in the area of Education. In addition, the text sought to add to discussions on how the concept of image has contributed to studies of Social Representations.