The social representations of physical education teachers about the new high school: an analysis from the tree of similitude

This study explores the social representations of Physical Education teachers in Alagoas regardingthe New Secondary Education, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities arising from the 2017Secondary Education Reform. It is a qualitative and exploratory research that uses the Free WordAssociation Technique to analyze how these changes impact teaching practices and the place of PhysicalEducation in the curriculum. The results, evidenced through a similarity tree, highlight "Challenge","Innovation", and "Training" as central concepts in the teachers' social representations. There is anurgent need for adequate infrastructure, as well as political and institutional support for innovativepedagogical practices. The study concludes that, despite the challenges, the Reform also represents anopportunity to reinvent and strengthen Physical Education, which requires investment in infrastructureand continuous teacher training.