BEYOND METHOD AND DIDACTICS IN SOCCER SCHOOLS: THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF PRACTICE TEACHER IN SAMPLING YEARS

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate, characterize, and analyze the epistemologies and pedagogical approaches underpinning the mobilization of professional knowledge—didactically materialized—by two Physical Education teachers in their pedagogical practices within the scope of Sports Initiation in soccer schools. To achieve, participants completed a sports-pedagogical questionnaire¹, had their classes observed, and their instructional behaviors recorded in a field diary. The data were analyzed and interpreted as of scholarly literature concerning the Epistemology of Practice, framed by the theoretical foundations of Sports Pedagogy. The results were categorized to synthesize the epistemological profiles of each participant. Findings indicate that the professionals’ pedagogical practices are primarily grounded in foundational principles of pedagogical approaches informed by empiricist and interactionist theories. However, epistemological inconsistencies were identified, emerging from factors such as the entrenched empiricism typical of formal educational contexts; the formation of beliefs and conceptions shaped by a hegemonic paradigm marked by technical rationality; the professionals’ duration of teaching experience and their capacity for critical self-reflection; as well as the demand for pragmatic responses within a dynamic and multifaceted pedagogical environment. These findings underscore the urgent need for continuous professional development in Physical Education—particularly within the subfield of Sport Pedagogy—to foster epistemological reflection that transcends debates limited to methodological effectiveness. This is particularly relevant considering that methods and didactic strategies emerge as pedagogical expressions of the epistemologies that shape professional knowledge, influenced by educators’ intentionalities, their defined objectives, and the socio-cultural characteristics of the learning environment.