Educação ambiental em instituição pública de ensino superior: o caso da UFSM

Abstract

Humanity is entangled in a new historical period marked by profound changes in the social, political, economic and cultural environment. In recent decades, we have witnessed a significant growth of environmental movements and interest in environmental conservation. We know that the socio-environmental problems faced by humanity are the result of an inadequate use of the planet's natural resources. From another point of view, environmental education and social-environmental issues are not denied; but from discourse to action, there is a long way to go. Public service bodies and, more specifically, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are not an exception in this area and should become spaces for the exercise of environmental education. In this context, the university plays an important role in the formation and construction of a human being who is knowledgeable and modifying reality, based on the principles of sustainability and environmental education, so that he becomes an environmental educator capable of thinking and acting on his or her own reality. Thus, this study aims to analyze the implementation of knowledge and practices of environmental education, in the perception of UFSM managers, with a view to producing subsidies that contribute to the strengthening of environmental education. This research has a qualitative character, having as an instrument of data collection, interviews with three UFSM managers. Moreover, this research is classified in a case study. In order to perform the data analysis, we applied the Content Analysis based on Bardin (2016), aiming, through these systematic procedures, to highlight the most important and relevant segments of the interviews. In general, the results showed that the interviewees recognized that the theme of environmental education is of paramount importance, characterizing itself as a fundamental instrument in the IFES and that, somehow, they are trying to include this topic in the Institution. In this research it was also verified that several actions occur in the Institution, but are isolated actions and that there is no cohesion / intention / priority on the subject. Based on this, this study proposed the implementation of Environmental Education Centers in each University Unit, thus providing an alternative to better discuss, conduct and experience this theme at UFSM.