BEYOND TECHNIQUE: AN ANALYSIS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE APPROACH TO FIGHTING SPORTS BY PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS
School Physical Education; Continuing Education; Combat Sports Teaching; BNCC; Teacher Autonomy.
This research investigates the construction of knowledge and pedagogical practices of Physical Education teachers in the teaching of combat sports/martial arts, based on a continuing education program. The study is justified by the gaps in initial training and teacher insecurity in delivering this content due to a lack of specific technical mastery. The general objective was to analyze how the training program "Lutas em Movimento: Aprendizagem através do Jogo" was able to empower teachers to systematize teaching in an inclusive and grounded manner, regardless of technical expertise. The methodology is characterized as qualitative and documentary research, using records produced by teachers from the municipal school system of Natal/RN as the investigative corpus. Profile questionnaires, meeting evaluation forms, and teaching units developed by the participants were analyzed. The analysis followed a thematic approach, focusing on the transposition of theoretical concepts into school practice. The training was structured in hybrid modules, addressing distinctions between combat sports, martial arts, and combat sports; strategies based on distance classification and opposition games; strategies for more inclusive classes, among others. The results demonstrate that the teachers, supported by materials that value "knowing about doing," transposed concepts into robust teaching sequences aligned with the BNCC. The lesson plans revealed the overcoming of a strictly technical focus through the differentiation between "fighting" and "brawling," the use of alternative materials, and adaptation for students with specific needs. It is concluded that continuing education is a vital link between academic theory and daily school life, promoting teacher autonomy. The work highlights that technical mastery is not a prerequisite for pedagogical teaching, provided that the teacher has tools that reframe combat sports as an integral part of Body Culture. Despite the engagement challenges in the remote format, the research confirms the feasibility of an inclusive and safe combat sports curriculum, capable of breaking historical silences and democratizing access to this knowledge in schools.