Physical Education and professional identity: Profession, semi-profession or trade?

Abstract

This paper will attempt to discuss some issues in relation to the possibilities of forming a professional identity framework in the field of Physical Education, in contrast to current trends in university education developed at the Instituto Superior de Educación Física de la Universidad de la República Oriental del Uruguay. It is based on some assumptions that need to be presented, to contextualize these issues. This is a higher education career with a long tradition in teacher education, although without institutional links with the training centers for primary or secondary education.
Recently installed in the university structure, this training seems to go through a profound review of its purposes and the links between knowledge production and professional intervention in society. On the one hand, the first one seeks to rank the profession, problematizing the possible objects of study from the production of theoretical discourse, while legitimacy from the place of professional regulation is pursued from different areas of work in society.
This article attempts to assess the possibilities of constitution of a specific professional identity, in contrast to the notion of ocupation.