The Educational Potential of Parque Nacional da Tijuca: an analysis from the perspective of teachers

Abstract

Human interference has caused profound transformations in natural environments, resulting in impacts that are often irreversible. This scenario highlights the importance of creating and monitoring protected areas, known as Unidades de Conservação (UC). Furthermore, contact with nature enriches the school curriculum, being a valuable pedagogical tool, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary potential of the UC. Thus, this work aimed to investigate how teachers perceive the potential of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca (PNT) for educational practices outside the school context. This is an exploratory and descriptive qualitative research, in which data collection consisted of conducting a semi-structured interview with five teachers who carry out educational practices within the PNT. The interviews took place during the months of March and April 2023. Content Analysis was used to analyze the data. Based on the dialogues exposed during the interviews, in relation to the educational activities carried out by the teachers, it was possible to group them into five categories, namely: activity developed, contributions, pre-visit, experience on the part of the students and difficulties. It was noted that different age groups and education levels were involved. Regarding the activities assigned to them, it was observed that, although the theme of Environmental Education encompasses a large part of the practices found, different contents were covered. The PNT also appears to be a place of inclusion and accessibility, as it includes activities that include students with disabilities. Thus, the ability of UCs to encompass actions with diverse methodological approaches, aimed at audiences from different classes, is evident.