“DIDATICS”, GAMES, SCOUTS, MORAL FORMATION OF A CHILD

AMARÍLIO FERREIRA NETO

FERNANDA MUTZ NEITZEL Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brasil E-mail: fernanda@proteoria.org

INTRODUCTION

In the debate that took place in the last 25 years in Brazilian Physical Education, in first place it was always the disposition of identifying and establishing tendencies of the area in the twentieth century. The attempts, a mark of the debate, tried to identify big theoretical axles, periods and political characteristics of prescribed and implemented perspectives in the social context, specially the one about school practices.

Theorizing about Physical Education, in this context, means searching for its fundaments as school practice in specific press, in a way that it is all turned to the teaching and to the area technician. Therefore, the tension fall upon the supposition the answer for such work to happen can only be possible if the empiric practiced in the knowledge production pioneer in the thirties and forties. In this article, it was chosen to experiment what was denominated the presence of Pedagogy in Physical Education.

The Physical Education Magazine (PEM), during 1932 and 1942, directed part of its publications to Pedagogy, what has made possible to establish a correlation of Physical education with this area. In the PEM, the relation of Physical Education with Pedagogy is present in the articles that use scouts, children games and the used “didactics” as child education methodological resources.

Under the influence of the Pedagogy knowledge, a scientific-methodological support was formed based on the French method, to help in the insertion of the physical activities, aiming at scholars and pre-scholars, wanting to form physically, psychologically and morally the child, besides homogenizing the school groups and in this way, promoting the production of more docile bodies.

 “DIDACTICS”, GAMES AND SCOUTS: A STUDY IN THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION MAGAZINE (1932-1942)

Along with the French method adoption, the search for work pedagogy became more intensified specially with scholar and pre-scholar aged children. According to Mollina (1932), the physical activity practice reflected directly in the person moral and intellect, because they depend on a development and harmony of organic functions, what could only be reached through physical work. Besides, this practice would raise the resistance against diseases and would develop strength, dexterity, speed, etc. As a consequence for the nation, an increase in the working force, an individual and collective working profit, the institutions number decrease, like hospitals, presidiums, and above all, the race improvement. Mollina (1932, [s. p.]) justifies the reasons why the French method was chosen:

The method to be used must be general, that is, working well for any age or sex - with some variation, but with only one directive; being philosophical , that is basing on the perfect knowledge of organic actions and reactions in different ages in the face of physical exercise; being attractive, half psychological and pedagogical, to get the persistence from the ones who practice [...] it is this scientific method - philosophical and psychological - idealized by a Latin race that we adopted.

Maybe that is why most of the analyzed texts with pedagogical ambit are about Children Physical Education and the Pedagogy to be used in this phase. By the French method, the child would be stimulated in several ways, during all the school period, generating the moral formation. According to Rolim (1935), the first method of moral preparation would be the corporal culture, because the gymnastic would make the man disciplined for the modern life. Fernando de Magalhães, mentioned by Rolim (1935, p. 36), shows the Physical education disciplinary aspects.

In physical education there is a group of special attributes that make the following of their rules to be taken out miraculously from the humans’ body and soul. The way, the cult of these education, composes the subject organized in symmetry and proportion. A real work of art. Lively art. The creator is proud is proud of himself, highlights the creature that he wants to be. In the symmetry and proportion traces, it is emphasized the Inspiration of a doctrine able to accomplish big things. The symmetry represents the discipline, the proportion is the syntheses of conformity. This ways characters and virtues are manipulated. The physical education fundament is in the observation of good obedience rules. The human body is synergy. Synergy is the solidarity collaboration of efforts.

According to Costa (1933) and Gonsaga (1935), the games would be considered the main way to apply Physical Education. This because, with the games, it would be noticed the predisposition and the personality of a child, that is, in some games during break time, for instance, the psychological and social development would be evident.

The children would be divided into three ages: pre-scholars, from four to six years old, and scholars, separated in two groups, from seven to nine and from ten to fourteen years old. For the considered pre-scholar children, there would be sensorial games, singing toys and short stories. This last, according to Morais (1938), would unite the physical exercises to fairy tales so that the child could live it in the theater way, making learning much more pleasant and stimulating. In relation to sensorial education, it would be very important, because it would help in the good management of senses organs and it would demand the school control and attention. Martins (1933), corroborates the sensorial games idea:

[...] the education of senses must be seriously faced, Kinder garden might be the principal of all that is desired to be taught. Nowadays, it is attributed to sensorial games such importance in children education as much as it is attributed to the one that takes place in fields of games.

For seven to nine year-old scholars, it would be introduced the circle and union games, arising the corporation spirit, to avoid selfishness feeling and aggressiveness, normal at this life time. That is why competition games can not be used, because they could generate group disorganization and the children would not understand the rules. Martin (1933) understood as main goal for children under nine, the normal development of their physical faculties, according to the “physiological growing conditions”, improving the breathing and contributing to a healthy life. Then, the most commendable Physical Education application process would be the imitation.

According to Abade (1942), there will only a constructive work he normal development of their physical faculties, according to t when the education was based on pupil’s natural dispositions and when this work was well adapted to the child psycho philosophical conditions. He even used to say that the school should be adapted together with teachers so that the child mental development would be better watched when compare to the physiological site, especially during the most highlighted physical growing periods, being more tolerant with the behavior.

From ten to fourteen years old, the competition games would be introduced, which would demand ability, discipline, and cooperation and as a goal the games would prepare the children in the physical aspect as well as in the moral one.

According to Gonsaga (1935), the games could be divided into heritage, imitation and imagination. These are the three factors o compose the game origin. In the heritage ones, fighting, social and familiar games are inserted. The fights are present in most of the games, because they instigate the competition instinct. The social and familiar games reveal the desire of reciprocal help. The imitation ones have some roots in the heritage games, because they express some instincts that come from human specie and are linked to the reproduction of what has already seen, in performances involving circus acrobatics or in bow and arrow games.

As imitation games, the imagination ones are also influenced by heritage games, considering imagination as part of the human nature. These games are divided into intellectual and affective. In the intellectual ones, the imagination is stimulated by curiosity, and in the affective kind, emotions are arouse.

About the practical and educative utility of the games, they can be classified in: movement ones, like running; sensorial ones, sight skills used to determine a certain distance, that work as senses educators; intelligent development ones that satisfy the child curiosity instinct and are part in the every day life, besides the games that pick out sensibility and the artistic games.

According to Gonsaga (1935), the games help in the cultivation of an altruistic feeling. The children can play alone, but they will always look for company, creating even imaginary friends. The isolated children are the ones who demand a lot of attention, because misanthropy is not normal in this age. This solitude might be caused by a deficient nutrition, however the most important thing is that the exaggeration in the practice of children’ games must be avoided, because, according to Gonsaga (1935), some children when stimulated by games, suffer some kind of emotional disturbance, such as, emotions-shock, that lead the children to be dauntless, with cold hands and fast heart beats, or emotions-feeling, that some time right the game is finished, used to bother the children, altering their appetite and mood.

Gonsaga (1935) considers that the games should be applied, having as ideals the ones associated to age, to behavior, and to the children physical, moral and intellectual activities, having none of these characteristics to harm the development of the others. At last, children games were considered a great way to outcrop in the children feelings of solidarity and friendship, which are essential virtues in the moral formation of people.

Another approach found in PEM is the scouts that were considered a good way to accomplish the patriotic ideals, because it was based on moral auto discipline, aiming at keeping a national character. According to the text “How scouts face the educational problem”, written by Desjardins (1934), it is through the educational process that every level can be reached and in this way make it integrated.

Desjardins (1934) defends the scout as a way to educate outside, which the child learns how to discipline the body, marching, running, walking, swimming, riding, etc., besides working the adventurous and corporative spirit. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be an early process for a military life preparation?

Depending on the way it is applied, scout becomes a docility process, making children learn since the beginning to obey and to be subordinated to superiors. This hypothesis can be taken into consideration due to the military character of the Physical Education Magazine. In the Desjardins arguments (1934, p.10), the similarity between the military training is noticed and some of the scout practices.

[...] the boy truly has a good time, in the exact etymological meaning of these words, he laughs, the singing and the elementary disports: the march, the running, the obstacles transpositions, at this point the high, width and deep jump is understood.

Martins Filho (1935) sees scout as an educational way and not as a military school in small proportions, as it was proposed by Desjardins (1934) in the text “How scouts face educational problems”. Martins Filho believed that the scouts used to firm the child spirit, because it worked with motored coordination in a not fatigued way, although not positioning against the activities proposed by of for Physical Education, but affirming the both are of gymnastics character. Even Martins Filho intentions are not based on a military proposes, scout, if badly used, is a docility agent, because it induces the children to follow orientations as doctrinaire regiment. This fact can open our horizons about reasons of publications in the Martin Filho (1935, p.38) text in PEM.

Every time, in every scout practice, we can find exercises to improve agility and to train the body without making us too tired or fatigued. No championship worries, but only spontaneous activities, creating the best and most complete gymnastic.

Antipoff (1935) used to affirm that scout should not be integrated to public schools because, according to her, there were no scouts tutors, who were able to teach well the young learners about the scout doctrine, besides the inexistence of a necessary support from the Government and from the kids’ parents. Another reason was the lack of urgency, because primary school would be improving structurally and didactically making the child likes the schools even more. And, finally, there wouldn’t be any moral advantage, because the national teaching institutions would work the corporative spirit of students and the scout politics would be adapted to the regular school through self-gouverment, making the scout implantation not necessary. According to Antipoff (1935), the year referred was a moment of big schools structuring. Physical Education has been implanted in the scholar ambit, reason why the scout refutability was confirmed at schools, and also there was no structure to support the scout practice. “Nowadays, is it considered opportune the primary schools scout implantation? I can not see even material possibilities, urgency and not moral advantage” (ANTIPOFF, 1935, p.2).

In 1936, in the “Project of post-scholar teenager assistance with a narrow scout corporation” by Helena Antipoff that proposed a pedagogical project that used scout adapted to Country’s social and political regime, making the scout doctrine to be broadly diffused in the national territory. Antipoff’s work, that used to have a purely educational character, would follow this sequence: instruction and intellectual development, professional orientation and teenagers’ social and moral formation. The first was about the teaching of how to read and write and primary school subjects. The second one was about scholarship availability to the ones with unusual skills and send the ones considered not normal with delinquent character to the children’s judgeship. The last prepared the teenagers to help other teenagers who were part of a lower level.

The scout practice quoted in the text “Scout and Education of the Brazilian Youth”, in 1939, defined scout as a way to avoid the youth education without precepts of collectivism essential for a strong nation formation and it would be the pillar of a strict education in moral values for young people formation. Vasconcelos, the author of the text mentioned above, used to propose scout like this in the function of the hegemony that came from the Nazi fascist that was spreading in European countries, during 1939 and 1945.

An education without over sentimentalism, is the one we need and the ‘principal’ is unquestionably the scout. (Vasconcelos, 1939, p. 29) [...] the alien racial superiority myth was created, the dangerous racial oasis was formed and the unilateral, obsessed interest was full of possibilities against the nation (SCOUT, 1939, p. 30).

After the listed arguments, it was observed the conformation of what can be denominated “didactics” or the formation of an intervention project in scholastic education that includes curricular component Physical Education in the Brazilian school system, from the educational reforms of Francisco Campos and Gustavo Capanema and the followings the would reflect on the States. What is the purpose of using Physical Education in this way?

In the Physical Education lessons written for school aged children, it is possible to see similarities with the education indicated to militaries. The didactic used always follow the pattern of organization and discipline, where students are placed in lines obeying the tutor command voice. For that, many methods are used, with simple order or marching exercises including songs and breathing games, for example.

The pedagogy is linked to the life of a person. It changes, improves the human beings, who is always resisting the exterior world influences and not accept them passively; through the social life, transform their environment in a way to supply their demands and necessities.

People do not loose the freedom and autonomy, and not even the docility is able to make them passive. Human beings education must have this principle: the respect and their personality favoring.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

The recent researches in interface of education and physical education fields offer support for the continuation of this study in the search of more intimate fundaments of a Brazilian physical education theorization transmitted in the periodic press of teaching and technician.

In the Physical Education article analysis, it is notable that there was a group of texts that took some Pedagogy fundaments to the physical education ambit. In their specialties a child education interest was introduced, knowing that from this a physical education method would be implanted as a base for the child physical, psychological and moral formation. To do so, the French method was adopted, aiming at promoting these interests so that it would direct school area through didactics, games and scout. Although it was realized during the study a correlation between Biology and Pedagogy, which the first one mention gave support for the physical education pedagogical practices in its insertion in the school ambit, that is, Biology interlinked with Pedagogy, in a way to supply science to the discipline to be studied. It was also seen a strong military influence in the school environment, because there is where similarities used to happen when linked to physical education practices for children and militaries.

The indications of Pedagogy field articles indicate that for the quality improving of the children physical, psychological and moral formation, prescribed the “didactics”, that mean a group of ways to verify procedures unity to educative practices, that should be materialized through gymnastics, games, sports and also scout, even not having any consensus in this case.

REFERENCES

ABADE, Idílio Alcântara. Necessidade da educação física para firmar espiritual e fisicamente a personalidade da criança. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano X, n. 52, p.14-16, abr. 1942.

ANTIPOFF, Helena. A escola e o escotismo. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 4, n. 25, p. 2-3, ago. 1935.

ANTIPOFF, Helena. Projeto de uma assistência à adolescência post-escolar com a cooperação estreita do escotismo. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano V, n. 31, p. 30-32, maio 1936.

DESJARDINS, J. Guerin. Como os escoteiros encaram o problema educacional. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 3, n. 16, p. 10, jul. 1934.

ESCOTISMO e a educação da juventude brasileira. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano VII, n. 45, p. 24-25, jun./jul. 1939.

GONSAGA, Otávio. Os jogos infantis. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 4, n. 20, p. 11-12, mar. 1935.

MARTINS, Ivanhoé Gonçalves. Educação física infantil. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 2, n. 7, p. 35-36, abr. 1933.

MARTINS, Ivanhoé Gonçalves. Educação sensorial. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 2, n. 8, p. 26-27, maio 1933.

MARTINS FILHO, Enéas. O escotismo como fator educativo. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 4, n. 22, p. 38-40, maio 1935.

MOLINA, Antônio de Mendonça. Importância da educação física para um povo: o método adotado. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 1, n. 3, [s. p.], jul. 1932.

MORAIS, Felisbina Pinheiro. Educação infantil método para a realização das lições de educação física. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano VI, n. 41, p. 12, ago. 1938.

MORAIS, Felisbina Pinheiro. Educação física infantil: método para a realização das lições de educação física. Organização da professora Felisbina Pinheiro Morais. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano VI, n. 44, p. 29, nov. 1938.

ROLIM, Inácio de Freitas. Educação moral e educação física. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano 4, n. 20, p. 35-37, mar. 1935.

SKINNER, G. Escotismo-escola da cultura geral pelo professor G. Skinner. Revista de Educação Física, Rio de Janeiro, ano VII, n. 45, p.27, jul. 1939.

“DIDATICS”, GAMES, SCOUTS, PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND MORAL FORMATION OF A CHILD

ABSTRACT: The Physical Education Magazine (PEM), during 1932 and 1942, directed part of its publications to Pedagogy, what has made objectively possible to notice and discuss the influence of Pedagogy in the PEM, aiming at helping the insertion of Physical Education in the school area. The initiative is justified by scientific contribution that makes possible the understanding of pedagogical fundaments in the constitutions of Physical Education theories. The study was delimitated to the qualitative method, using the documental research. The survey made by PEM, showed how the presence of pedagogical aspects in physical activity is evident, specially directed to scouts, wanting the physical, pedagogical and moral formation of a child, this way, confirming the homogeneity and discipline in the students who physical activity would be used.

Keywords: Physical Education. Games. Scouts.

“DIDACTIQUES”, JEUX, SCOUTISME: FORMATION PHYSIQUE, PSYCHOLOGIQUE ET MORAL DE L'ENFANT

RÉSUMÉ: Le Magazine de l'Éducation Physique (REF), pendant la période de 1932 à 1942, a dirigé une partie de ces publications vers la Pédagogie, ce qui a objectivement rendu possible le constat et la discussion au sujet de l'influence de celle-ci dans la REF, afin d'aider l'Éduction Physique dans son insertion dans le domaine scolaire. L'initiative est justifiée par la contribution scientifique qui rend possible la compréhension des fondamentaux pédagogiques dans la constitution de théories de l'Éducation Physique. L'étude se borne à la méthode qualitative, utilisant la recherche documentaire. Selon les données de la REF, la présence des aspects pédagogiques apparaît clairement. Ces derniers sont particulièrement dirigés vers une population d'enfants scolarisés ou pré-scolarisés et sont utilisés au travers de méthode comme “didactiques”, jeux et scoutisme dans le but de former physiquement, psychologiquement et moralement l'enfant. Ils donnent ainsi une homogénéité et une discipline aux éléves impliqués dans l'activité physique.

Mots-clés: Education Physique. Jeux. Scoutisme.

“DIDÁTICAS”, JOGOS, ESCULTISMO: FORMACIÓN FÍSICA, PSICOLÓGICA Y MORAL DEL NINO.

RESUMEN: La Revista de Educación Física (REF), durante el período de 1932 a 1942, enfocó parte de sus publicaciones para la Pedagogia, lo que posibilitó objetivamente detectar y discutir la influencia de la misma en la REF, a fin de auxiliar la Educación Física en su inserción en el área escolar. La iniciativa se justifica por la contribución científica que posibilita comprender los fundamentos pedagógicos en la constitución de teorías de la Educación Física. El estudio se delimitó al método cualitativo, utilizando la investigación documental. En los levantamientos realizados en la REF, se evidenció la presencia de los aspectos pedagógicos en la actividad física, enfocados, principalmente, hacia los ninos con edad escolar y preescolar, utilizando entonces métodos como “didácticas”, juegos y escultismo, con el objetivo de formar física, psicológica y moralmente al nino, confiriendo, de este modo, homogeneidad y disciplina a los escolares en que la actividad física sea empleada.

Palabras claves: Educación Física. Juegos. Escultismo.

“DIDÁTICAS”, JOGOS, ESCOTISMO: FORMAÇÃO FÍSICA, PSICOLÓGICA E MORAL DA CRIANÇA

RESUMO

A Revista de Educação Física (REF), no período de 1932 a 1942, direcionou parte de suas publicações para a Pedagogia, o que possibilitou objetivamente detectar e discutir a influência da mesma na REF, a fim de auxiliar Educação Física em sua inserção na área escolar. A iniciativa justifica-se pela contribuição científica que possibilita compreender os fundamentos pedagógicos na constituição de teorias da Educação Física. O estudo delimitou-se ao método qualitativo, utilizando a pesquisa documental. Nos levantamentos realizados na REF, ficou evidente a presença dos aspectos pedagógicos na atividade física, direcionados, principalmente, às crianças em idade escolar e pré-escolar, sendo utilizados métodos como “didáticas”, jogos e escotismo, a fim de formar física, psicológica e moralmente a criança, conferindo, assim, homogeneidade e disciplina aos escolares em que a atividade física fosse empregada.

Palavras-chave: Educação Física. Jogos. Escotismo.

Endereço para correspondência: Amarílio Ferreira Neto Caixa Postal: 01-9030 ACF - Campus Universitário Vitória - ES CEP: 29075-973

E-mail: amarilio@proteoria.org