Educação ambiental crítica em aulas de biologia a partir de atividades sobre agroecologia

Abstract

This dissertation analyzed how first-year high school students at Escola Estadual Fernão Dias construct knowledge about Agroecology through a Critical Environmental Education (CEE) teaching sequence in Biology classes. The theoretical framework was based on CEE authors who advocate overcoming conservationist and pragmatic practices in favor of critical practices that foster the problematization of socioenvironmental issues and the formation of critical subjects. The empirical work was conducted with 50 students from Escola Estadual Fernão Dias, located in the municipality of São José da Safira, Minas Gerais, using as a methodological strategy a teaching sequence composed of a questionnaire, dialogued lesson, case study, and discussion circle. The initial results revealed a superficial knowledge of Agroecology, as well as a limited understanding of environmental impacts in the local context. However, after the formative activities, students showed progress in understanding agroecological principles, valuing sustainable practices, and critiquing the predominant agribusiness model. Noteworthy outcomes include the strengthening of critical thinking, the appropriation of concepts such as agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty, and the proposal of contextualized solutions to environmental problems identified in the region. The results show that the teaching sequence effectively addressed the research question by promoting students’ transition from limited conceptions to a critical and contextualized understanding of Agroecology and local environmental issues. It fostered the appropriation of concepts such as agrobiodiversity, food sovereignty, and agroecological practices, while encouraging reflection on the impacts of agribusiness and the formulation of solutions aligned with the local reality, articulating social, economic, cultural, and ecological dimensions of the environment