Self-study of critical incidents from a curriculum justice perspective

This study investigates secondary education and curricular justice amidst counter-educational reforms aligned with neoliberal ideals in Brazil, highlighting the imperatives of teacher resistance against political implications at macro and micro levels. Focusing on two critical incidents situated at the Federal Institute of Cear & aacute; (IFCE) and the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS). The research employs self-study methodology and the critical incident analysis technique to examine intersections between educational policy and Physical Education within the federal education system. The qualitative approach, grounded in the epistemology of praxis, involved eight Physical Education teachers in reflexive and dialogical processes. These educators shared (inter)subjective and (self-)critical experiences regarding the relationship between secondary education and curricular justice, revealing a pedagogical practice that challenges the prevailing technical rationality. The study underscores how collaborative movements foster active political vigilance, shaping conscious and engaged bodies capable of transforming an often oppressive educational system. Through the exchange of experiences, the teacher-researchers developed strategies to navigate the contradictions of the educational system, building a transformative praxis that values diversity and curricular justice. This articulation between life and teaching work emerges as a space for resistance and pedagogical innovation, reaffirming Physical Education as a critical and socially committed field.