The study seek to describe and analyze 10-12 years old children attitudes behaviors in games in PE classes. The participatory action research analyzed 55 children playing 4 different games, of different kinds (exposed, transformed, and spontaneous). The classes’ description and analysis were focused in the attitude axis and it was defined 4 topics for the discussion: Conflicts, Respect of rules, Expressiveness, and Competitiveness.

1. Mauro H. André
Katia Rubio
University of São Paulo - Brazil

2. Introduction
The game, the child and the culture present an intense
relationship, in which this study search for a better
understanding.
In order to illustrate the complexity of the game (and its
relationship with other elements), we will be comparing
the concept of image (picture) presented by Postman
(1999) with the concept of the game.
The image is unique and although it can be described with
just a few words or more than a thousand of them, it can
only be totally visualized and understand, once it is seen.

3. The complexity (keep this in mind)
Would you be able to describe this image in words?
What about your feelings when playing?

4. Introduction
The 3 elements are present in a specific way:
 The game – is a social game
(category presented by Piaget, 1986);
 The child – as a student;
 The culture – as the school culture (very specific).

5. Methodology
This qualitative research was developed with a
participatory action research methodology, once the
researcher was also the students’ teacher.
Throughout this approach, the present study described
and analyzed the students attitude behavior while
practicing many different games during their Physical
Education classes.

6. The students
55 students participated on the research:
 27 boys
 26 girls
All the students were 5th graders (age between 10 and 12 years
old), and they were all new on the school, once they were
from elementary schools on the previous year.
They all lived in the city of Itapevi (25 Km from São Paulo)
and had a low social-economic condition.

7. The school
The school chosen was the biggest of the neighborhood
and attended more than 2.000 students every day in
three different periods (morning, afternoon and
night).
The public school attended both middle and high school
(which is very common in Brazil).
Unfortunately the school didn’t have enough resources
to accommodate all the students well.

8. The school court

9. Research procedures
The researcher worked (as a teacher) on the school in which the
study was developed for one year.
On the first semester, the researcher started the Physical Education
program without collecting any data.
On the second semester, the researcher videotaped almost all the
classes.
After viewing every tape (more than 10 hours in video), 4 classes
were chosen to be used on the study.
Four topics were selected to describe and analyze the videos:
Conflicts, Respect of rules, Expressiveness and Competitiveness.

10. Transformed game - Dodge ball
In the beginning of the year
the students only knew
about sportive games. As the
year went by they had the
opportunity to discover
many others.
After a whole semester
learning new games they
had the challenge to modify
one specific game to create a
new one (1st step).

11. Dodge ball – without cemetery
Only two rules were
modified:
 The elimination of the
cemetery (changing the
court division);
 The child that was hit by
the other team should
change team (instead of
going to the cemetery).

12. Dodge ball – without cemetery
 The new rule introduced by the students in which each
player would change team constantly was the biggest
reason for the conflicts during this game
 Even though the students would see the cemetery as the
biggest issue of the game.
 The game must respect the culture where it is played or else
itself won’t be respected (Scaglia, 2002).
 Unlike other games, this dodge ball would create an
atmosphere were the students wouldn’t feel unimportant if
he/she wouldn’t get the ball as much as others did.

13. Dodge ball – with goals!
 The game remained with:
the court division and one
ball only;
 The players may also kick
the ball (besides
throwing);
 After hitting the opponent
with the ball – they would
play a penalty kick
shootout (new climax).
 New player: goal keeper.

14. Dodge ball – with goals!
 Clearly the students tried to make the game of dodge ball
more similar to the soccer game (national passion).
 The students will try to modify their activities into subjects that may be
more meaningful to them (Darido & Rangel, 005).
 However what was surprising was their attitude behavior
changing completely in order to reproduce the culture of
soccer.
 The sportive games which are broadcast have a huge
influence over their participants, influencing the way to play
it, their behavior, and even their expressiveness (Betti, 2004).

15. Conclusions
 Many aspects can be point out for be responsible to determine
the attitude behavior of children while they play games;
nevertheless, this elements can only be determined once it is
understood the relationship established between the
game, the culture and the game itself.
 The game played in school must have a reflexive practice, where the
students think about what are they learning and how they can
modify their environment in order fit the games into their needs
and not the order way around.

16. Thank you all for your attention
My e-mail: mauro_ha@yahoo.com
http://www.teses.usp.br/
 Mauro Andre
 “O jogo no ambiente escolar”