Environmental Education: perception of public school students in Campina Grande, Paraíba

Abstract

Negative impacts on the environment are the result of stimulated consumerism and the inharmonious relationship between a large part of society and the environment. Given this scenario, Environmental Education, placed as an educational model that aims at the emergence of a new environmental ethics, is fundamental at all levels of education. This study aimed to evaluate the environmental perception of public school students in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba. Supported by the approval of the research by the Research Ethics Council, data were collected through questionnaires applied to selected volunteers, and these students were regularly enrolled in the 3rd year of high school in 24 public schools in Campina Grande, totaling 1725 people, of which 1561 were interviewed. A measurement scale was created, validated and applied, using the Likert model, on the students' environmental perception of environmental issues such as soil, solid waste, plants and consumerism. Based on the results obtained, the majority of students have a previous, but superficial, knowledge of the subject in focus, which does not allow them to have a critical and reflective perception of the environmental problems of their community. This result indicates the need for a set of interdisciplinary, continuous and interconnected actions aimed at deepening the debate on sustainability and environmental conservation in schools.