TEACHING OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION N PRIMARY EDUCATION: TRENDS, PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES AND EMERGING CHALLENGES

Abstract

This article critically analyzes the teaching of Physical Education, Recreation, and Sports (PERS) at the primary education level, addressing epistemologically the approaches of trends and pedagogical frameworks. It also discusses the emerging challenges affecting its redefinition as a comprehensive formative space for developing competencies in various dimensions of the human being. This is based on theoretical foundations derived from socioconstructivism, critical pedagogy, meaningful learning, psychokinetics, and the phenomenological-hermeneutic perspective. The article argues that this area must transcend its traditional focus on technical instruction and sports performance to become a space where the bodily, cognitive, socioemotional, and cultural dimensions converge. It is proposed to reconsider curricula, strengthen teacher training, implement active methodologies such as didactic sequences, and promote formative assessment, all with the aim of ensuring inclusive, contextualized, and culturally relevant educational experiences. This analysis incorporates theoretical perspectives from authors such as Vygotsky, Freire, Merleau-Ponty, Le Boulch, and Perrenoud, as well as recommendations from the WHO, to support the idea that Physical Education should be conceived and implemented as a tool for social justice, recognizing its potential to connect school, community, and culture, while contributing to the holistic well-being of students.