Reflecting on Initial Teacher Education in Brazil: Experienced Teachers' Perceptions

Overview & Synopsis

This study examines initial teacher education through the experiences of experienced physical education teachers. The participants were 12 PE teachers working in primary education (grades 1-9 in Brazil) in the municipal public school systems of Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, and Diadema, cities located in the São Paulo region known as the 'Greater ABC' or 'ABC "paulista"'. The participating teachers had also graduated from higher education institutions located in this region. This broad area was selected due to its diversity of institutions offering initial teacher education in physical education. The aim was to understand teacher's perceptions about both public school and teaching during their initial teacher education programs in physical education. Data were gathered through focus group interviews and analyzed to understand how the curricula of different institutions in the same region conceptualized public schools and the teaching of physical education in their initial teacher degree programs. Although teacher education and acting in the classroom cover the same territory, teachers identify a large gap between knowledge prioritized in teacher education programs and that required in everyday school life. Attention is drawn to the lack of themes relevant to working in contemporary schools and report the privileged status given to knowledge those teachers understand as being secondary or even unnecessary in pedagogical practices. Final considerations aimed at bringing about a shift in discussing alternatives for changing and reinterpreting the curriculum of physical education teacher education, thus establishing meanings that meet perspectives in line with everyday school life, its needs, and its reality.