TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION ABOUT THE TEACHING AND APPLICATION OF PARKOUR IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
An exploratory study
adventure sports, methodology
The teaching of Physical Education in Schools (PE) in Brazil has historically prioritized traditional and sport-oriented practices, leaving other manifestations of body culture that could enrich students' education in the background. This reductionist view has been questioned by academic and pedagogical movements that advocate for a Physical Education (PE) that is more inclusive, critical, and connected to cultural diversity and social realities. The National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) reflects this change by including Adventure Body Practices (PCA) as a Thematic Unit, expanding the repertoire of content and establishing a connection between the body, the environment, and movement. In this context, Parkour, characterized by overcoming obstacles in everyday life in a creative, safe, and efficient way, emerges as an urban practice capable of providing unique, challenging, and transformative educational experiences.
However, although its introduction into PE is aligned with the BNCC guidelines, Parkour still faces resistance in its implementation as school content. This resistance is related to the lack of initial and ongoing training of teachers, the absence of specific teaching materials with teaching proposals related to Parkour in schools, inadequate infrastructure and, above all, the social view that associates the practice with risk. These barriers reinforce the need to explore ways of safely and pedagogically inserting Parkour in EFE, taking advantage of its potential to contribute to physical, social and emotional development. As pointed out by Inácio et al. (2020) and Corrêa (2023), it is necessary to train teachers and develop strategies to enable the teaching of Parkour in a safe and meaningful way in classes.