Name: THIERRY PINHEIRO NOBRE
Publication date: 12/05/2026
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| ANDRE DA SILVA MELLO | Examinador Interno |
| JOSÉ FRANCISCO CHICON | Coorientador |
| MARIA DAS GRACAS CARVALHO SILVA DE SA | Presidente |
| VICTOR REIS MAZZEI | Examinador Externo |
Summary: In recent decades, studies concerning children undergoing oncological treatment have addressed the hospital context and the consequences that the illness imposes on the lives of young patients and their families. Changes in routine, medical procedures, and the lack of time and space for play raise concerns regarding the assurance of the child’s right to play and experience childhood. In this regard, this research aims to identify and problematize the possibilities, tensions, and/or challenges in the care and treatment of children with cancer; its repercussions on modes of play; and to discuss the relevance of pedagogical mediation by the Physical Education teacher in supporting play during oncological treatment and hospitalization. The investigation is grounded in the theoretical contributions of Vygotsky’s Historical-Cultural Theory, with insights from Sarmento’s Sociology of Childhood. Recognizing the challenges of research that seeks to examine social phenomena, we adopt a hybrid approach that characterizes our study as qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive, employing Case Study methodology (Almeida, 2016; André, 2013) and drawing inspiration from Barbier’s Existential Action Research (2002). For data production, the following instruments were used: Participant and Free Observation; Field Diary; Semi-Structured Interview; and Individual Action Plan. The study was conducted at the Center for High Complexity in Onco-Hematology of Hospital Nossa Senhora da Glória, in Vitória-ES. The research participants include three children undergoing oncological treatment and hospitalization, their families, the multidisciplinary team, and the teacher-researcher. Data collection took place between May and December 2024. The data will be analyzed through the contributions of Macedo’s Implicated Ethnoresearch (2012), particularly regarding implication, over-implication, and working-through; and Barbier’s Sensitive Listening (2002). The results show that, even in a hospital context, play constitutes a fundamental right and a constitutive dimension of childhood, capable of re-signifying spaces and experiences. The experiences with the three children highlighted child protagonism, the appreciation of choices, and the need for humanized environments. It is acknowledged that research in the field of Physical Education within oncological contexts is expanding and should strengthen play as an essential practice in the hospital routine.
Keywords: Physical Education; Oncology; Pedagogical Mediation; Child; Play; Playing.
