Reflections on knowledge production in physical education and sports science

Abstract

This study is a reflection on knowledge production in the face of the complexity of Physical Education/Sports Science in Brazil. Using five initial working hypotheses, we look at the role of the Brazilian College of Sport Science within the context of the knowledge production in the field. In order to construct our approach, we reviewed specific literature in the area, the doctoral dissertations written in the last five years in Brazilian Graduate Programs in Physical Education and the Master’s theses of one of these programs. We then added on to this information with documents from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development on research grants that had been awarded and with scientific studies presented at the last three Brazilian Congresses of Sport Sciences. Such procedures allowed us to (a) Identify the theoretical-methodological models used to produce knowledge by the scientific community in the area of Physical Education; and (b) Understand the convergence and divergence of the scientific production legitimated by that science association and the production stimulated by Brazilian research funding agencies.