Meanings of Leisure in the School Environment for Early Childhood Physical Education Teachers in São Luís (MA)

Abstract

Discussing leisure means addressing an essential human right; however, it is still often regarded merely as pastime or recreation. This study aimed to understand leisure as a tool for the integral development of early childhood education students within the school environment. Additionally, it sought to identify the school's perspective on leisure, analyze the methodologies employed by teachers, and discuss the importance of integrating leisure into the educational setting. This research is qualitative and exploratory in nature, grounded in the theoretical-methodological framework of Discourse Analysis. The study was conducted in São Luís – MA, with a sample of eight Physical Education teachers from the region. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, investigating the meanings these teachers attribute to leisure. The results and discussions revealed that leisure is perceived through constructivist-interactionist, biological, cultural, sportive, and cathartic lenses. The study concludes that leisure is considered important by social actors within the school environment; however, the methodologies employed still reflect practices from the 20th century. Moreover, leisure is presented as a polysemic concept, and schools do not adequately address the central theme of this research.