Movement festival: a transformative pedagogical practice for integrating teaching, research, and extension in physiotherapy education

Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde

Abstract

The Movement Festival consisted of an interdisciplinary initiative developed by 5th-semester physical therapy students at PUC Minas Betim, under faculty supervision, at a Long-Term Care Facility for the Elderly (ILPI). Four groups conducted themed stations—balance, motor coordination, memory/mobility, and flexibility—integrating teaching, research, and community outreach. The activities, planned collectively and adapted to individual abilities, utilized playful resources and promoted engagement, socialization, and functional stimulation. During the initiative, there was strong participation by the elderly residents, interest in the proposed activities, and interaction between the participants and students, in addition to the development of practical, communicative, and interpersonal skills among the students, constituting a transformative pedagogical practice centered on student agency.