Ecologia, meio ambiente e doenças: panorama atual do ensino e estratégia para uma formação científica e ambiental

Abstract

Ecology is a science that involves subjects that are often observable and evident around us, and environmental issues have an important influence on their teaching, contributing to the development of ethical and responsible individuals and a society whose activities are based on sustainability and conservation of the environment. However, several environmental impacts have occurred at an unprecedented speed and the threat that nature and ecosystems occur due to predatory human actions, generate incalculable damage to environments and, consequently, to the health of living beings, including human health. The result of this is a scenery of endemics, epidemics and pandemics that Brazil and the world have faced. It is necessary to improve the general knowledge of those needed in relation to this problem, with the use of educational measures, methodologies and strategies in search of more conscious training and with scientific and environmental engagement. Thus, the present study had as objective to evaluate the general and current panorama of the teaching of ecology, around the relationship between disease occurrence and environmental degradation. For this, analysis of educational guidance documents and science and biology teaching materials was carried out, used in basic education and public schools in the State of São Paulo, from the survey of skills, competences and content related to ecology, and elaborate a proposal for an investigative didactic sequence, which basically comprises a critical and reflective approach to ecological concepts and diseases, in search of scientific literacy. As a result of the analysis, the correlation between ecology and diseases was little observed. Within this context and considering the educational guidance documents and textbooks as important tools in the educational scenario and in the mediation of teaching, concludes, therefore, that is needed a broader approach of the relationship between ecology and the emergence of diseases in these materials, enabling a teaching and learning process committed to health education and with the construction of the students' ecological and environmental responsibility.