Environmental education and the health risk question: how do we educate the educators working with this theme?

Our society is presently seeing a trend of continuous increase of risk with severe consequences, especially those linked to environmental aspects. It has obligated us to reflect on this production and its effects, either positive or negative, and, after a long reflection, to think about the adopted model of civilization and the possibilities of changing such a model. The educational institution is among the social departments responsible for this revision process, since it represents one possibility to promote a more critical vision from society, providing it with tools needed for a more responsible action. However, schools are dominated by a traditional work, which does not allow for enough and proper attention to these relevant and current questions, and which involve a critical analysis of the conceptions and values established by our civilization, resulting in the present patterns of science-technology-society relations and their influence on the environment and health. Several research works have indicated a diversity of barriers that obstruct this necessary change. Since formal education plays an important role in the education of society for this theme, in this paper the possibilities and difficulty dealing with this problem are discussed, focusing on the question of teacher education, based on investigations related to teacher education programs for environmental education. The data collected show the urgency for introducing this theme in teacher training programs, taking into account the fact that educators have their own conceptions, values and attitudes that should be considered in these programs.

The Development of Science Education Research in Brazil and Contributions from the History and Philosophy of Science

Over the last 50 years a new research area, science education research, has arisen and undergone singular development worldwide. In the specific case of Brazil, research in science education first appeared systematically 40 years ago, as a consequence of an overall renovation in the field of science education. This evolution was also related to the political events taking place in the country. We will use the theoretical work of Rene Kaes on the development of groups and institutions as a basis for our discussion of the most important aspects that have helped the area of science education research develop into an institution and kept it operating as such. The growth of this area of research can be divided into three phases: The first was related to its beginning and early configurations; the second consisted of a process of consolidation of this institution; and the third consists of more recent developments, characterised by a multiplicity of research lines and corresponding challenges to be faced. In particular, we will analyse the special contributions to this study gleaned from the field known as the history and philosophy of science.

Pesquisa em educação ambiental: panorama da produção brasileira e alguns de seus dilemas

A partir de textos publicados em periódicos e de levantamentos já realizados em bancos de dissertações e teses, procuramos indicar tendências e perspectivas na produção da pesquisa em educação ambiental (EA) no Brasil. Fica evidente o aumento do número de trabalhos produzidos nos últimos 10 anos. do ponto de vista metodológico, observa-se que a maioria das pesquisas faz uso de abordagens qualitativas, orientadas, muitas vezes, para uma ação colaborativa. Fica também evidente a concentração de trabalhos em certas regiões do país. O sistema universitário público, e neste a pós-graduação, constitui-se no lócus privilegiado dessa produção. A estreita relação entre pesquisa em EA e os sistemas de pós-graduação indica que, para compreender tal produção, torna-se necessário compreender o sistema de pós-graduação brasileiro. Salienta-se a importância de se construir espaços múltiplos que se constituam em lócus de discussão e divulgação da pesquisa em EA no país e de mobilização política de pesquisadores da área.

Pesquisa em educação ambiental: a atividade de campo em teses e dissertações

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

A dimensão política da educação ambiental: reflexões sobre os trabalhos dos encontros de pesquisa em Educação Ambiental (I, II, III EPEAS)

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

O projeto de educação Ambiental Aprendendo com a Natureza como ponto de partida para uma ação formativa de professores do Ensino Fundamental

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O debate modernidade / pós-modernidade e a crise socioambiental: um estudo sobre teses e dissertações brasileiras em educação ambiental

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Educação ambiental e contexto escolar: questões para um programa de pesquisas

In this paper are systematized the discussions conducted by GDP "Research in EA and School Context", in VII EPEA, which have had, as its main axis, themes, authors and theoretical perspectives privileged in research presented at the event and declared themselves affiliated to this GDP. The dialogue with researches from previous meetings and other, aims to deepen the questions posed by the research group. The discussions allowed to identify themes and issues that present themselves as significant and challenging for research in EA in the school context, namely the conversion of schools into sustainable educational spaces; public-private partnerships, with great interest from companies and NGOs in school spaces, waving kits with educational materials produced for the school; lack of investment in public policies for teacher training in EA; tendency to an adherence to critical environmental education, without, however, have clear theoretical and methodological commitments under this option.

Pesquisa em Educação Ambiental: compromisso com a vida

Different environmental disasters registered around the world and their consequences to nature and to the biodiversity, including the human beings, lead us to deal with nature’s mysteries and with our limits In controlling technological apparatus that make us proud enough to think that we can control nature’s processes. These kinds of experiences, considered as a real “being-event”, make us experiment processes of disillusion related to the possibilities of science and technology. Considering this frame and the historical human experiences, one fundamental question is related to our position, our professional and ethical commitments and our responsibilities facing this reality. How can we deal with these facts that are continuously announcing the limits of nature, of science, technologies and our self-limits? As researchers involved with environmental education, it seems plausible for us to ask about the ethical commitments related to our “acts” of investigation. So, considering different and stimulating possibilities opened by intellectual and philosophers who are adding significant contributions to these debates, my proposal for this essay is to invite environmental education researchers to carry on a dialog involving these questions with some perspectives proposed specially by Bakhtin (1895 – 1975) and some other authors affiliated or not to his approach. This seems to be an opportunity which allows us to realize that our commitments as environmental education researchers would be identified with our commitments with life

Diagnosis and environmental planning for Paranagud - PR - Brazil

The main goal of this study was to identify and analyse environmental problems related to human occupation at the south part of the city of Paranagua PR, Brazil, aiming the diagnosis and conceptual evaluation of landscape use. For landscape use assessments and degradation diagnosis purposes, the environment was classified considering mainly geological and geomorphologic characteristics, such as declivity and sediment origin. The identification of potential environmental impacts was made by aerial photographs, Landsat-TM images, photographic records, surface sediment samples, water-column samples, and mainly observation visits to each classified unit. Surface sediment samples were taken with a Petit-Ponar sampler, in 13 station located in Paranagua Bay. In order to characterize the contamination level on sediments, the concentration of the following elements were analysed: arsenic (As), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Ph) e zinc (Zn). For the extraction of these elements, samples were treated with HCl 0.1N for 12 hours. This method has the advantage of determining contaminants which are weakly bind to the sediment, thus more available to the system. Analysis were performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. According to the adopted criteria, sectors were classified as hills, mangroves, continental sediments and beach ridges urban and port industrial. Water quality and concentrations of metallic elements were determined at three sectors one control and two with the influence of urban and port/industrial activities, respectively the major upland impacts found were: deforestation due to disordered occupation, and solid waste emission through domestic and industrial sewage. The diagnosis of the actual situation was used as a basis for a management plan, once it allows the identification of impacts, and consequent environmental irregularities. Based on this considerations, suggestions for land use and management were presented, which offers a better approach for recuperation and protection of the studied ecosystem.

Natural Conditions and Environmental Impacts in a Coastal Hydrographic Basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)