COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND INTERDISCIPLINARITY: THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVE GAMES IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

Physical education in schools plays an essential role in the comprehensive education of students, promoting not only physical development, but also social, emotional, and cognitive development. This study aims to identify interdisciplinarity as a cooperative learning strategy in the early years of elementary school, highlighting cooperative games as fundamental pedagogical tools in this process. Historically, according to Bracht (1999), physical education emerged under medical and militaristic influences, with a focus on developing healthy and disciplined bodies. Over time, and according to the Collective of Authors (1992), new educational trends transformed this area, valuing sport and comprehensive human development. However, the excessive emphasis on competition and performance ended up making sports practices exclusionary. In this context, cooperative games, according to Orlick (1989) and Brotto (2001), emerge as an inclusive and humanizing alternative, promoting values such as solidarity, trust, mutual respect, and collective overcoming. Through these games, students learn to work as a team, deal with differences, and build a more harmonious coexistence, developing socio-emotional skills that are important for life in society. Thus, interdisciplinarity and cooperation in Physical Education contribute to meaningful learning and the formation of more critical, creative, and collaborative citizens.