Perspectivas discentes sobre as relações de gênero a partir de uma proposta de intervenção pedagógica coeducativa na educação física escolar

Abstract

School constitutes a privileged space for the production, reproduction, and transformation of gender relations, and Physical Education is one of the curricular components in which these dynamics become particularly evident due to the centrality of the body, interactions, and collective practices. In this context, this study aimed to analyze students’ perspectives on gender relations through the implementation of a coeducational pedagogical intervention in Physical Education classes. Specifically, the study sought to identify children’s narratives and perceptions regarding gender relations experienced in the school environment, develop a teaching unit grounded in coeducational principles, and create an educational product designed to promote reflections on gender, respect for differences, and equity. The research adopted a qualitative ethnographic-inspired approach and was conducted in a public elementary school in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, involving fifth-grade students. Data were generated through participant observation, field notes, discussion circles, and students’ productions developed throughout an intervention consisting of eight thematic sessions. The findings revealed that gender relations strongly permeate everyday school life, manifesting in discourses, games, conflicts, exclusions, and differentiated expectations directed toward girls and boys. Stereotypes related to bodily practices, the occupation of spaces, expressions of masculinity and femininity, and prejudices associated with gender, body, race, disability, and sexuality were identified. At the same time, the coeducational intervention proved effective in fostering questioning, shifts in perception, and processes of critical reflection, enabling children to recognize naturalized inequalities and build more respectful, collaborative, and equitable forms of coexistence. Discussion circles, bodily experiences, and dialogical activities constituted meaningful spaces for listening and expression, encouraging children’s active participation in constructing new understandings of differences. As an educational product, the children’s booklet EntreNós: A Booklet on Gender Equity and Other Little Things was developed based on real situations experienced during the research and organized as a pedagogical resource to support teachers and students in discussing gender equity, respect, and the appreciation of differences in Physical Education classes. It is concluded that coeducation represents an important pedagogical strategy for challenging inequalities, expanding opportunities for participation, and fostering more democratic relationships in the school context. Although prejudices and stereotypes were not completely overcome, the intervention highlighted the transformative potential of intentional pedagogical practices that promote dialogue, critical reflection, and the recognition of diversity as a constitutive element of educational experience.