Pedagogical work in Physical Education in the prison system: formative challenges and (im)pertinences

Abstract

This article portrays a study whose objective was analyse the formative itineraries of two teachers graduated in Physical Education, moreover, to find out how they think about the purpose of Physical Education in prison schools and organize their pedagogical work, as well as ways of coping with adversity and contradictions that exist in this professional context. The research was based on qualitative assumptions, with a narrative approach as its design. In order to gather the data, semi-structured interviews guided by a guiding topic were conducted and, regarding the method, triangulation was used as an analytical perspective. It was found that there were no debates or perspectives on the teaching practice of Physical Education in the prison environment, both in the initial training course (undergraduate) and at other moments of professional development. In addition, it was noted that the interviewees are in different phases of their teaching life, resulting in different ways of understanding and conducting teaching. It was also inferred that the reports describe professional activity in the prison environment with particularities, security restrictions and a logic of disciplinary control, a situation that presents a significant challenge to teaching. Although both recognize the adverse conditions under which pedagogical work in prison education takes place, the effects of life stories and educational trajectories reverberate, in different ways, on theoretical-methodological conceptions, and, in turn, reflect on the effectiveness of their teaching proposals.