Open Class at ULusófona: Reflecting and Debating Physical Education

On 15 February, Lusófona University organised an open lecture aimed at promoting reflection on the challenges and opportunities associated with the profession of Physical Education teacher, aimed not only at the academic community, but also at the local community. 

The event began with a speech by Professor Francisco Carreiro da Costa, who addressed the topic "What is quality teaching in Physical Education". During his speech, he emphasised the importance of defining quality criteria in teaching, highlighting the crucial role played by the university in training future professionals in the field. 

Professor Mário Guimarães, also a lecturer at Universidade Lusófona, brought up the uniqueness of the Physical Education assessment tests in Portugal. In his presentation, entitled "What is learned in Physical Education, a reflection on the results of the benchmark tests", he stressed the importance of analysing the results of these assessments, revealing that Physical Education has higher success rates than other subjects. 

Professor Jorge Proença spoke about "Professional identity, a critical analysis of the main current trends". He emphasised that the construction of professional identity occurs indirectly and sometimes involuntarily, encouraging professionals to question what they do, how they do it and why they do it. He also emphasised the tendency of Physical Education to follow passing fashions. 

After the presentations, a debate began, moderated by Professor André Barreiros and Professor Avelino Azevedo, from the CNAPEF, on "The professional associative movement in Physical Education, a space for affirming the profession". During the debate, pertinent issues were discussed, including proposals for improving the teaching method, with contributions from both the guests and the public present. The event provided a valuable exchange of ideas and perspectives on the panorama of Physical Education in the academic and professional context.

See photos of the event here.