Desenvolvimento da meliponicultura urbana como instrumento de educação ambiental na escola no município de Nova Friburgo, RJ

Abstract

Meliponiculture consists of breeding native stingless bees to produce honey and its derived products. In the current scenario of global warming, degradation of natural environments, and defaunation in the Anthropocene, the loss of native bees represents a serious threat to biodiversity conservation and food security. In this study, a didactic sequence and a handbook were developed to promote meliponiculture with the participation of high school students at a school in the municipality of Nova Friburgo, RJ. Activities were conducted integrating both the theory and practice of meliponiculture through an interdisciplinary approach and active methodologies. The structuring of the activities was based on theoretical frameworks such as Piaget's constructivism, Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy, and Ausubel's meaningful learning, in addition to Inquiry-Based Learning. The didactic sequence was developed in ten stages, covering everything from initial awareness of the topic to the implementation of a meliponary at the school and entrepreneurship through the manufacturing of bee-derived products. The data generated were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, using word cloud analysis, graph interpretation, and records from the didactic sequence. The application of word clouds at the beginning and end of the project revealed a transition in students' perceptions of the topic, shifting from fear and stereotypes to a deeper understanding of the ecological importance of bees. Through graph analysis, a significant advancement in the assimilation of scientific and technical concepts related to meliponiculture was observed. The development of a structured didactic sequence compiled in a handbook consolidated learning by integrating theoretical content with practical experiences, fostering critical reflections on environmental conservation and food security. The articulation between quantitative and qualitative methods enabled a comprehensive evaluation of the educational process, reinforcing the potential of critical environmental education and student protagonism in constructing knowledge and transforming reality regarding the conservation of native stingless bees and the Atlantic Forest Biome