Praticas corporais alternativas: formacao em educacao fisica

The objective of the present study was to investigate the importance of coursework related to Alternative Body Practices (ABPs) on the formation of attitudes and on the professional performance of physical education (PE) teachers at the elementary, high school, and undergraduate levels. Data were collected through questionnaires sent to PE teachers at public and private institutions in Rio Claro, Campinas, and Piracicaba, at all three academic levels. Only 38.5% of the teachers had some academic training related to ABPs, and 15.4% had participated in ABP-related events. However, most of the teachers (84.6%) considered it important to include such courses for students at the undergraduate level. We concluded that, in order to better qualify PE professionals, ABP courses should be included in PE student training at the undergraduate level, since it is unlikely that they will seek such training as professionals after graduation.