The Environmental Theme in Higher Education: approaches proposed in undergraduate education courses at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro

Abstract

We are currently experiencing a number of environmental imbalances as a result of human activities, which necessitates the inclusion of Environmental Schooling at various levels of education. Assuming that the teacher is a facilitator of thoughts on the socio-environmental issues raised in the classroom, it is accepted that this professional's initial training should include funding for this purpose. The goal of this research was to look at how the environmental subject was addressed in degree courses at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro's Institute of Exact, Natural, and Educational Sciences. A qualitative research was conducted in the Pedagogical Curriculum Projects of the ICENE licentiate courses for the analysis of these projects, and they were classed with the coordinators of these courses. The methodologies suggested by Laurence Bardin's Content Analysis were applied for data analysis. As a result, it was possible to comprehend the many viewpoints of each course on the Environmental Thematic, which are divided into three categories based on how the topic is presented in the courses. It is stated that there is no pre-determined method for incorporating Environmental Education into teacher initial training because each course tailors this issue to its curricular realities and unique characteristics. However, the necessity of exercising critical awareness that is free of deterministic standards, confronting the environmental problem in a transversal way, aligned with the course's common, critical teacher training, and conscious of their responsibility as an educator is appreciated.

Key words: Environmental Education. Environmental Theme. Graduation. Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro.