Aprender a navegar: o mar como desafio, o horizonte como propósito

Abstract

This school placement report was developed within the Professional school placement of the Master's Degree in Teaching Physical Education in Basic and Secondary Education at the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto. The report reflects the journey of a pre-service teacher (the author) throughout one academic year in a real teaching context, highlighting the experiences, difficulties, decisions and learning processes that contributed to the development of his professional identity. The intervention focused mainly on a resident 8th-grade class and was extended to other teaching contexts, School Sport and different activities within the school community. Throughout the internship, planning, teaching and assessment gradually stopped being understood as isolated moments and became part of an interconnected process, continuously adjusted according to the students and the conditions of practice. The observation of other teachers, feedback, collaboration and reflection also played an important role in transforming pedagogical decisions and increasing awareness of the demands of the teaching profession. Participation in school life further contributed to understanding that being a teacher goes beyond the lesson itself and requires involvement, initiative and responsibility towards the educational community. In parallel, a descriptive and exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the factors that lower secondary school teachers and students consider important for making Physical Education lessons meaningful. The study involved 109 students and four Physical Education teachers. The findings reinforced the importance of social interaction, enjoyment, diversity and pedagogical organisation, while also highlighting issues related to student voice and autonomy. Overall, the internship represented a process of professional learning characterised by the need to observe, question, adapt and take responsibility for the decisions made, contributing to a more conscious and intentional understanding of what it means to be a Physical Education teacher