Meanings of play: a study with school-level Physical Education teachers

Abstract

This paper investigated the meanings imbued by Physical Education teachers upon play activities with their students from the first primary education classes. We have employed semi-structured interview in order to analyze: the function of play within their work; the meanings coming from teachers of other disciplines and the administrative team about  this work with play; and the conditions of the work with play. The results revealed: a tension between competing and cooperating, the devaluing of soccer and a search to re-signification; the valuing of the need to work on reading and writing; physical abilities and soccer; and the central issues are around the final goal of play and the “how” instead of “why”. We have reached the conclusion that work with play is going through a process of search for value and re-signification of its function, which reiterates the need for this historical approach for the subject that constitutes school-level Physical Education.