Abstract
Over the last forty years, Physical Education has gone through major changes made official in institutional publications. The study is about the teachers’ conceptions of these changes in connection with their professional practices. A survey by means of questionnaires has been conducted (in three education authority areas) and has been followed by interviews of experienced teachers. Beyond the values shared by the professional group, many interpretations of official publications emerge and show a (relatively) divided world with forms of approval as well as resistance. The results show a varying use of institutional elements as well as individual strategies. The relation to the discipline is established between institutional stakes, social interactions, individual career paths and more or less favourable professional contexts.