Educação ambiental em uma escola pública municipal de Salvador/BA: conhecimentos e concepções de docentes dos anos finais do ensino fundamental

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate, at a public school of Salvador / BA, in the final years of elementary school, the meanings attributed by teachers to environmental education through the analysis of knowledge about the principles that guide it and conceptions of environment presented by these teachers, since the conception of teachers of environment is directly related to the way they perform environmental education. Sauvé (2005) and Reigota (2010; 2011) pointed to the existence of different views on the environment and different ways in which environmental education can be practiced. In turn, Brazilian official documents - Diretrizes Curriculares da Educação Básica (BRASIL, 2013a), Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BRASIL, 2016a) in the second preliminary version and Política Nacional de Educação Ambiental (BRASIL, 1999) - discussed principles of environmental education: environment comprising the ecological, social and cultural features; interdisciplinarity; contextualization; transversality; continuity and permanence. The research was qualitative, exploratory type (Marconi and Lakatos, 2003). For analysis of the knowledge and conceptions of teachers was conducted a case study with application of a questionnaire with objective and subjective questions, while the description of the environmental importance of the neighborhood where the school was held from documentary research (GIL, 2008). As a basis for the analysis of the concepts of environment, categories were used established by Reigota (2010; 2011): Naturalist (corresponds to living beings and where they live), anthropocentric (is a space available for use of the human being) and globalizing (relationship between physical, biological and socio-cultural features). The school is placed in the vicinity of Parque são Bartolomeu, residual Atlantic forest, sanctuary for religions of African origin, the scene of battles for independence of Bahia and symbol of resistance against slavery for black people. This ecological, social and cultural importance of the park highlights the need for educational planning that effectively involves environmental issues surrounding the school. It was detected that teachers generally consider that environmental education is very important and must work on all school subjects, but many do not feel prepared to address it, because they were not trained for licensure. Participation in continuing education courses proved to be very shy, and the main source of information on the subject are internet sites. Predominant design through naturalistic environment: even the teachers who presented a concept of means globalizing environment, revealed naturalistic tendencies in other answers. Nevertheless, educators often work in a multidisciplinary way, using diversified strategies and forms of evaluation. They were able to identify negative environmental impacts in the school environment, including associated with Parque São Bartolomeu, and indicate proposals to mitigate them. However, most never visited the park, working with generic themes, with ecological and preservationist bias and especially on celebratory events. We recommend a reflection including teachers, coordinators and managers in the light of the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais da Educação Básica and the Base Nacional Comum Curricular, about environmental education practiced at schools.