(PHYSICAL) EDUCATION IN THE DIGITAL CULTURE: THE LIMITS FOR THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGIES IN PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the limits found by Physical Education teachers in their school realities for the integration of digital information and communication technologies in their classes. The data produced for this qualitative case study come from semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 Physical Education teachers participating in a core of studies, linked to a specialization course, which addressed the relationships between its curricular component and digital culture . For the analysis of data produced in the field, content analysis was used. The results show that teachers face a series of limits related to: a) the physical structures of their schools, with emphasis on the conditions of the equipment available in the computer rooms and the quality of the internet connection; b) the prohibition on the use of the cell phone within educational institutions, according to the State Law, which is usually relativized according to the discussions held in each specific school context; c) the resistance on the part of some professional colleagues, who, because they are not yet able to appropriate the TDIC in their classes, end up supporting the denial of these tools at school; and d) the absence of computer teachers in schools, who are often important partners in proposing pedagogical actions with technologies. Such data point to the need for investments in public policies in the area of education in order to offer better working conditions to teachers, as well as actions related to continuing education in order to enable them to better understand the relationship between Education and digital culture.