Professional preparation in physical education: changing labor market and competence

Go Tani

doi:10.1590/s1980-65742013000300004

Abstract

Professional preparation is indeed a complex and dynamic process because it involves a number of interacting elements, which change in time. The objective of the present essay is to analyze the professional preparation in physical education, with the focus on the relation between the very dynamic labor market and the required competence of the professionals to deal with the associated demands. There is no doubt that the professional preparation must not aim to train professionals to merely repeat means for solving practical problems, but professionals with the capacity to repeat the process of solving problems. Consequently, professional preparation programs need to be formative instead of informative and prepare professionals capable of using scientific thinking and method to solve practical problems of intervention.

Highlights

Professional preparation is a complex and dynamic process because it involves a number of interacting elements, which change in time
The objective of the present essay is to analyze the Professional preparation in physical education professional preparation in physical education, with the focus on the relation between the very dynamic labor market and the required competence of the professionals to deal with the associated demands
Opportune to mention that the purpose of this essay is not to present a comprehensive analysis of the competencies involved in the articulation of professional knowledge, skills, perceptions and attitudes, but to analyze the competence related to the theoretical and scientific knowledge of the area. The reason for this delimitation is that physical education is still an incipient field of knowledge that has peculiarities concerning the production, systematization, organization and dissemination of knowledge that have important implications to the professional preparation

Summary

Invited author

Professional preparation in physical education: Changing labor market and competence. The objective of the present essay is to analyze the professional preparation in physical education, with the focus on the relation between the very dynamic labor market and the required competence of the professionals to deal with the associated demands. O objetivo do presente ensaio é analisar a preparação profissional com o foco na relação entre o mercado de trabalho em constante transformação e as competências exigidas do profissional para responder às demandas a ela associadas. Não há dúvida de que a preparação profissional não deve visar à formação de um mero repetidor de meios para solucionador problemas práticos, mas sim de um profissional com capacidade de repetir o processo de solucionar problemas. El curso de preparación profesional debe tener un carácter formativo y no informativo para preparar profesionales capaces de utilizar el pensamiento y el método científicos para resolver los problemas prácticos de la intervención. Palabras claves: educación física, preparación profesional, mercado de trabajo, cuerpo de conocimientos

Initial considerations

Physical education as a profession

The university crises and professional preparation

Professional preparation and the cultivation of research attitude

Final remarks