Concepções de professores sobre a temática ambiental no município de Rio Bonito, RJ: materiais curriculares, práticas de ensino e formação

Abstract

The municipality of Rio Bonito has suffered from environmental problems such as: the disordering use of the soil, the production of coal, mining and the negligence of conservation units. Local socio-environmental themes can be addressed at school and related to students' reality, allowing them to look at socio-environmental issues from different social and political perspectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the teachers conceptions who teach science at schools located in the municipality of Rio Bonito, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, on environmental themes in curricular materials, teaching practices and relations to conservation units in elementary education, as well as how to reflect on their education. The research approach is qualitative. An analysis of the curricular document of the municipality of Rio Bonito, the Minimum Curriculum of Rio de Janeiro and handouts from a private school in the municipality was carried out. A survey and a mapping of the conceptions of teachers that worked in Rio Bonito teaching socio-environmental themes in elementary education were also carried out. The subjects were 26 teachers who taught science education at elementary schools in Rio Bonito. They answered a questionnaire with 17 questions and eight of them were interviewed. The approach to local environmental problems was found in the municipality's curriculum document. The notions of conservation and preservation are presented once in the analyzed curricula and that of sustainable development in an uncritical way. The analysis of the handouts revealed a predominance of a naturalistic view of the environment, aimed at explaining natural phenomena with little problematization and contextualization. The questionnaires and interviews’ analysis revealed teaching concepts that were mostly conservative and pragmatic; only one teacher presented a critical environmental education conception. Most teachers stated that they carry out environmental education projects, with a predominantly naturalist conception and the teachers’ training had an important influence on their view of the environment. It is concluded that the teachers’ conceptions predominantly present themselves as naturalistic and conservative, silencing local and global socio-environmental problems. It is argued that it is important that socio-environmental issues are addressed in teacher education and that teachers approach these topics at school with a critical view, engaging in the construction of a fair society.