ESTOU AQUI DENTRO, E DAÍ? PESSOAS COM DEFICIÊNCIA E SUA PARTICIPAÇÃO NAS AULAS DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA ESCOLAR

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the perceptions of students with disabilities enrolled in municipal and state schools in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, regarding Physical Education from an inclusion perspective, based on Cultural Studies frameworks. The specific objectives of this research include: a) examining the content covered in Physical Education classes; b) understanding the perceptions of students with disabilities regarding their relationships with peers and Physical Education teachers; c) investigating students' interactions with support teachers; d) analyzing students' sense of belonging in Physical Education classes. The questions that motivated this research arose from the observation that many studies investigate teachers' discourse and pedagogical practices in Physical Education classes; however, few focus on evaluating the participation of students with disabilities. Furthermore, research analyzing the inclusion process from the perspective of these students through the lens of Cultural Studies is even scarcer. This reality in school PE still needs to be explored, and for this reason, we became interested in this topic from a different perspective than those who, in theory, participate in the classes: students with disabilities. This is a qualitative study, and for data collection, we chose the semi-structured interview method, which allows for researcher intervention if additional information is needed (Thomas and Nelson, 2002). The interviews were recorded using a voice recorder and were later transcribed and analyzed using the content analysis proposed by Bardin (2010). The interview analyses resulted in three categories: a) preferences and topics covered in Physical Education classes; b) interactions with Physical Education teachers; c) participation and sense of belonging of students with disabilities in Physical Education at School. The research results showed that students with disabilities experienced exclusion and/or partial integration in Physical Education classes, with reports of isolation and separate activities. Students with greater barriers related to mobility and social interaction expressed more negative perceptions regarding participation. The lack of connections with peers and the lack of intentional pedagogical actions by teachers were also identified as exclusionary factors. On the other hand, the presence of support professionals was highlighted as a facilitator of inclusion.