Os significados atribuídos às práticas esportivas escolares nas aulas de Educação Física Escolar: uma análise a partir da Pedagogia do Jogo

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This dissertation is grounded in the understanding that sport teaching in the Brazilian school context has historically been shaped by a technicist and sport-centered rationale, focused on the execution of motor skills, performance outcomes, and the standardization of practices. Such an approach tends to obscure the meanings and interpretations produced through bodily and social interactions that emerge during game situations. In response to this scenario, the study seeks to challenge this hegemonic model by proposing a pedagogical approach that understands sport games as social and cultural practices, permeated by symbolic, affective, and political dimensions. OBJECTIVES: To develop, implement, and analyze a pedagogical proposal for teaching invasion sports in school Physical Education, grounded in the principles of Game Pedagogy and interpretive anthropology. METHODOLOGY: The research adopted a qualitative approach of an interpretive nature and was conducted in a public elementary school, with the classroom teacher acting as the researcher. This methodological positioning enabled prolonged engagement with the research setting and supported an in-depth understanding of pedagogical processes in their complexity and dynamic character. Data production took place throughout Physical Education classes through systematic observations, field notes, and analysis of students’ bodily and discursive interactions during game situations. These procedures allowed for capturing not only observable behaviors but also the meanings attributed by participants to their experiences within school sport practices. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION: Data analysis was guided by Clifford Geertz’s concept of thick description, considering the sport game as a cultural text open to interpretation. From this perspective, the findings revealed that the game constitutes a privileged space for the production of meanings related to belonging, exclusion, symbolic recognition, power disputes, and identity construction in the school environment. The observed interactions demonstrated that sport practices express hierarchies, values, and modes of participation that directly influence students’ educational experiences, extending beyond the purely technical dimension of movement. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The results indicate that Game Pedagogy broadens the educational possibilities of sport by shifting the focus from isolated technical instruction to a cultural understanding of the game. This shift promotes more reflective, dialogical, and inclusive pedagogical practices in school Physical Education. It is concluded that the articulation between Game Pedagogy and interpretive anthropology contributes to re-signifying the teaching of invasion sports in school Physical Education, strengthening its commitment to students’ holistic education and to a critical reading of bodily practices in educational contexts.