Extension Activities and Educational Practices in Physical Education:

an Experience with the theme of aging

Abstract

The present paper addresses the challenge of integrating extension activities into the educational practices of courses within a Physical Education degree program, analyzing how this articulation can contribute to the initial training of future teachers. The objective of this work is to report a didactic-pedagogical experience resulting from the articulation between the activities of a university extension project, developed by the Department of Physical Education of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), and the educational demands of regular courses within the Physical Education Teacher Training program at the aforementioned institution, as well as to analyze the contributions of this experience to the education of the participating students. This is an experience report based on descriptive memorials prepared by the students who attended the courses “Integrated Projects A - CEF 002” and “Integrated Projects C - CEF 004”, offered in the fifth semester of the Physical Education Teacher Training program of UFPR, in the year 2024, within the context of classroom activities. The proposal consisted of developing classes involving bodily and sociocultural practices aimed at the participants of the project, composed of mature and elderly adults. This practical experience in the project, carried out with members of the external community to the UFPR, allowed the students to engage with a public that may, in the future, constitute part of their professional field. Data show that, through this interaction, the students expanded their understanding and knowledge about aging, old age, and elderly individuals. Moreover, the proposal contributed to the students’ initial experience of teaching Physical Education to this specific public, requiring an understanding of the professional role and the necessary care involved in the teaching practice.