Environmental education project and the relationship of insertion in the daily life of public schools

Abstract

The need for a more sustainable world has shown the importance of environmental education (EE) from childhood at schools. The EE allows that the habits and attitudes have to be reconsidered and modified. EE projects at school occur with the effort of the entire school community. However, school management occupies a prominent place, since they are responsible for encouraging, planning, and maintaining with teachers the development of pedagogical activities, whose environmental theme must be articulated throughout the school. Given this context, the objective of this work is to analyze, from the perception of school managers, the EE Adopt a School Project (AUE) within the framework of the Municipal Schools scope for Early Childhood Education (EMEI) in Pelotas-RS. Qualitative research was carried out with school managers from 12 partner schools of the AUE Project. Data analysis allowed us to systematize and compare the schools that work with the AUE Project in their daily lives (PC) and the schools that do not work with the AUE project daily (NPC). In view of this, it is possible to verify important differences, such as: the AUE has positive aspects in relation to the schools PC of the schools NPC. For example, in the PC the insertion of the AUE Project in the Pedagogical Political Project (PPP) was identified; there is a greater inclusion of school professionals (managers, employees, and teachers) in the AUE; the Project is present in the pedagogical meetings in the majority of schools; there is a greater incentive for teachers to work on the AUE Project; the inclusion of EE practices through the AUE Project is greater; the importance of EE practices in student teaching is greater; there was an increased awareness of school staff through the AUE; there is a greater importance of the Project in children's education activities; the incentive to the school community to carry out EE practices increased. In relation to NPC, weaknesses were identified in the AUE Project. In summary, it is possible to verify that the AUE Project needs to be active and permanently in all the activities of the schools. Finally, the AUE Project in the daily life of schools proved to be more effective. There is a need for constant enhancements to the improvement of the AUE, mainly for the schools of the NPC group. Since, the project has a for the school community, agents involved, and society for the construction of environmental sustainability.