The Critical Perspectives In Discussion

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS AND SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES IN DISCUSSION

Glycia Melo Oliveira

Secretaria de Educação do Município de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Karenine de Oliveira Porpino

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Abstract

The discussion on critical perspectives within Physical Education is relatively re­ cent. In this wise, we aimed at reflecting on school Rhythmic Gymnastics from a keen insight. To do so, we used as theory and methodology pedagogical concepti­ ons of Physical Education: critico–emancipatória and critico–superadora. We also considered the National Curriculum Parameters of Physical Education. The study environment was established by historically observing both European gymnastic movements and world Olympic context. Thus, we could fix the beginning of Rhythmic Gymnastics in Brazil and its insertion in school. Concerning the critical perspectives for the Rhythmic Gymnastics learning, in fine, we focused on indica­ ting and considering it as content for Physical Education lessons.

Keywords: School Physical Education ­ Rhythmic Gymnastics ­ Critical Perspec­ tives[pic 1]

Introduction

he Rhythmic Gymnastics (RG) developed keeping as major refe­ rence the art field under the influence of theatre, music, and dan­ cing (MATIAS, 1997). The author, nevertheless, stresses that the aim for athletic training concerning sports team based on high–performan­[pic 2]

ce sports replaced the aims with pedagogical training.

In the 1960s, with the ‘wave’ including the ‘sport–show’, the RG pedagogical aspect was rejected, being it at a disadvantage when com­ pared to the competitive aspect. In the school, thus, such educational work lost its particularities. Increasing the value of the sport as inte­ rest to achieve good results became so exacerbating that the physical activities occupied a very relevant place in the PE discipline syllabus and school environment. It even resulted in replacing PE lessons to sheer sports practice lessons.

It can be verified according to Matias (1997). She stresses that pe­ dagogical preoccupation was despised because of emphasis over shows, fine arts and aesthetics, playing the role of commercial and po­ litical advertising.

In this wise, the sports experience nowadays still has traditional traces concerning theory and methodology. It occurs owing to Sports and PE presenting many times in history a role linked to political and strategic interests from social institutions and States. Such fact reveals that the physical activities arise from a landscape which lessens the methodology, and intend to discipline the subjects and improve peo­ ple’s health. For this, a military training was considered, i.e. it was practised uncritically and not linked to educational principles. In this context, the History of Sport is methodologically marked by traditio­ nal paradigms which are still alive directly or indirectly. Such para­ digms do not split suddenly and they are difficult to forget, which can become a new history built gradually, affected by the memories and experiences from the past. Thus, we can learn and renew our present history. Some particularities concerning PE history are still very typi­ cal. It is necessary to think on such particularities in order to creating innovations, in particular for progresses from the modernity. The sport has developed and becoming a cultural phenomenon with sundry opti­ ons. Schools need to discussion such development1. They should visu­ alise methodologies which provide reflection on one of the most present and widespread social phenomena, i.e. sport, and, thus, teach students to recognise the sport as a sociocultural phenomenon.

This make us think on how to learn the RG in school further on aims to train persons of talent or athletes capable of taking part in it with good results for local, regional or national competitions. It means reflecting on what role the PE performs in school as syllabus discipli­ ne with specific contents, e.g. sport.

In several cities of Brazil, PE lessons are usually replaced with par­ ticipation in specific lessons for a certain sport. It includes classes of competitive teams or preparation.

Moreover, the RG is seldom listed as content to be used in PE. The data from a study performed in Londrina2 shows that 76.2 % of PE te­[pic 3]

1­The sports evolution has strengthened astonishingly, considering that the cease­ less search for performance, first position, exceeding body limits, and limitless suc­ cess is obvious.

2­A city located in the northern region of the state of Paraná, Brazil.

achers interviewed do not work with such content in their lessons (CESÁRIO ET AL, 2005).

Cavalcanti (2007) emphasises that there is not a presumable justifi­ cation for the RG being abolished from school PE and being in the education institution only for competitiveness. For the author, the RG remaining in the school only for competitiveness is incoherent and in­ comprehensible; also, such event can include rich contents, e.g. sensi­ ble knowledge. In this manner, it also involves the world of dance, sport, circus, and especially gymnastics, allowing endless options to apply it.

The prevalence of the sport in PE in the role of developing persons of talent shows us the technical–sport conception (KUNZ, 2001). Su­ ch conception considers the importance of school PE, particularly as means to obtain persons of sports talent, overvaluing the performance and hence the result. The author warns that such conception ‘is today doubtlessly predominant within school […] advising on sports perfor­ mance for standards of high–performance sorts’ (p. 106­107).

Bittencourt et al (2005) encourage such conception presence in school when asserting that the RG, ‘almost always, has been learnt for competitiveness and its students’ physical performance. It relegates the knowledge production to a secondary position by using the tea­ ching–learning process’ (p. 89). For the authors, the RG in school has been considered based on an uncritical practice, lessen the knowledge; and such fact has not guided students to know, reflect and experience new gymnastic options different from the predominant performance model.

We intend to broaden such scenario and deal with sport, particu­ larly the RG, as a syllabus part for PE lessons. To do so, it must be in­ cluded in a critical school perspective, which makes up children’s and young people’s educational training and considers it from its histo­ ric–cultural process.

It makes us consider that the traditional paradigm3 does not look at the current society expectations. Hence, the education must deliberate[pic 4]

3­The traditional education includes solely transmitting ready and fixed contents out of the social reality. Students, by contrast, are within such reality, and such fact strengthens acquiring knowledge based on its build­up (‘educação bancária’ – Freire, 1983). Hence, this does not benefit construing and producing knowledge by own students. It means that such method is comparative and quantitative, especially concerning students’ submission and passivity (Hoffmann, 2003; 2005).