Environmental education at regular schools and in youth and adult education

Abstract

This study aimed to comparatively investigate the concepts of environmental education (EE) related to elementary school students enrolled in regular schools and in youth and adult education (YAE) in Brazil. A qualitative study was conducted using unstructured interviews. These interviews were carried out with twenty two students of YAE and the regular elementary school with themes formed about relation between human being and nature, conceptions about labor and conceptions of EE. We used the technique of content analysis and Toulmin’s argument pattern to analyze the data. The theoretical basis our study was the relation between the human being and labor. We considered the perspective of the ontological labor’s in the transformation of nature by the human being, and the subsequent transformation of the human being by nature, forming a cyclic process. Our results show that the students’ conceptions are related to a separation of the human being and nature, as well as their ideas about conservation and preservation of nature, recognizing their impacts on the environment. We did not verify any knowledge involving a more complex and critical comprehension about the relation between human beings and nature.This research suggests that the development and application of EE projects, should consider how subjects comprehend the relation between society and nature, leading to interesting outcomes.