Valorização da diversidade cultural e inclusão desportiva: o papel dos esportes indígenas na transformação social na educação profissional e tecnológica

Abstract

This study, developed within the scope of the Professional Master’s Program in Professional and Technological Education (PROFEPT) at the Federal Institute of Piauí, aimed to understand the role of Indigenous sports in the construction of an inclusive and transformative school community among students enrolled in integrated secondary technical courses at the Floriano Campus. The research emerged from the recognition that Indigenous peoples have historically been rendered invisible in school curricula, revealing the persistence of a colonial and Eurocentric legacy in Brazilian education. Grounded in the principles of integral human formation, polytechnic education, and work as an educational principle, the study addressed interculturality and the appreciation of diversity as central elements for a more just and dialogical education. Within the field of Indigenous epistemologies, the research sought to strengthen the recognition of Indigenous identities and bodily practices as cultural and educational heritage. Applied in nature and adopting a qualitative approach, the study employed interviews, questionnaires, and direct observation with eight teachers and thirty students. Data were analyzed using Content Analysis techniques. The results indicated that students recognized Indigenous sports as meaningful educational practices capable of valuing cultural diversity and promoting mutual respect and a sense of belonging. The analytical categories, from the students’ perspective, included the appreciation of cultural diversity and the fight against prejudice; recognition of the educational and inclusive potential of Indigenous sports; the importance of these practices for integral formation and social inclusion; and students’ knowledge of and interest in Indigenous sporting practices. From the teachers’ perspective, the categories encompassed their understanding of the inclusion of Indigenous sports in the Physical Education curriculum; the challenges and possibilities for their implementation in Professional and Technological Education; and the contribution of these practices to inclusion and cultural appreciation in the school environment. Despite initial unfamiliarity, students demonstrated high levels of engagement and interest, recognizing the activities as rich and transformative learning opportunities. Among teachers, challenges related to initial and continuing teacher education, as well as the scarcity of appropriate teaching materials, were identified. Nevertheless, educators showed openness to dialogue and to the appreciation of interculturality, perceiving Indigenous sports as an opportunity to move beyond the traditional sports model and to promote experiences based on cooperation and solidarity. As an educational product, the guide Raízes em Movimento: Guide to Games and Play of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, with a focus on the state of Piauí, was developed. Its implementation enabled the recovery of traditional modalities—such as log racing, archery, blowgun, tug of war, and spear throwing—reaffirming the body as a space of memory, ancestry, and knowledge. The study concludes that the inclusion of Indigenous sports in the context of Professional and Technological Education represents an effective strategy for promoting intercultural, critical, and decolonial education. This approach recognizes Indigenous peoples as historical subjects and legitimate producers of knowledge, contributing to a plural, inclusive, and transformative pedagogy in which sport transcends its recreational character and asserts itself as an emancipatory pedagogical practice that fosters inclusion, diversity, and citizenship.