Educação Ambiental na Educação Fundamental com vista ao Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável

Abstract

The global environmental crisis is one of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century, rendering environmental education (EE) an urgent political and formative instrument, particularly in elementary education, with the aim of shaping critical individuals committed to sustainability. In rural contexts, such as Marechal Cândido Rondon, EE becomes even more strategic, as it engages directly with sustainable rural development and therefore requires an analysis of curricula and methodologies. Historically, EE consolidated after milestones such as the Clean Air Act in England and the work Silent Spring (1962), driven by the intensification of the environmental crisis. The general objective of this research is to investigate the importance of EE in elementary education for the promotion of sustainable rural development. Its specific objectives are to evaluate EE practices within the school environment, identify the challenges faced by rural educators, and assess the impact on children’s environmental awareness. The methodology adopted is mixed (documentary and fieldbased), combining document analysis with questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation in rural schools, thus assuming a descriptive and exploratory character. The study is organized into three chapters. Chapter 1, “Legal Foundations and Humanized Practices,” examines the Brazilian legal framework (Law No. 9,795/1999), which establishes EE as an essential, permanent, and crosscurricular component, emphasizing the central role of the teacher as mediator, model, and agent of transformation, as well as the importance of affectivity and direct contact with nature. Chapter 2 evaluates how the intensification of climate change requires the integration of science education in the early years of elementary schooling in order to promote critical thinking and children’s protagonism, treating climate education as a structuring theme. Chapter 3, “Assessment of Practices,” seeks to evaluate, through questionnaires administered to students, parents, and teachers in the rural area of Marechal Cândido Rondon, the recognition of the relevance of the theme and children’s understanding of concrete environmental problems, although without the incorporation of personal actions. For teachers, the pedagogical difficulties encountered—whether related to materials or to long-term projects—constitute limits that are difficult to overcome. Given the community’s strong connection to agricultural activity, the full implementation of EE in the school is essential.