Protótipos educacionais no contexto das mudanças climáticas globais: estratégia para a preservação ambiental

Abstract

Global Climate Change (GCC) is an increasingly present reality in our daily lives, showing that rising temperatures have a direct influence on climate patterns over time. Given its contemporary relevance, it is essential to bring this discussion into the educational context, integrating it into teaching in an interdisciplinary manner. In this sense, schools play a fundamental role in promoting environmental awareness, mediating the construction of scientific knowledge through appropriate pedagogical strategies. The general objective of this study was to investigate the use of educational prototypes as a strategy to understand GCC and energy sources, in addition to proposing sustainable alternatives for environmental preservation. The specific objectives were: to evaluate the approach to GCC in guiding documents and textbooks; to propose real situations for reflection on the causes and consequences of environmental impacts arising from GCC at global and regional levels; to qualify students' understanding of GCC and sustainable alternatives based on the assembly of prototypes; to identify students' environmental perceptions based on problem-solving; and to develop a didactic sequence as an educational product of the investigation. The research sought to contribute to the dissemination of scientific knowledge and the development of students' environmental awareness, encouraging investigation and reflection in the classroom on the environmental problems caused by GCMs. The methodology adopted was action research, based on Tripp (2005), structured in three cycles: planning, implementation and evaluation. The activities allowed students to deepen their understanding of the causes and consequences of GCMs, in addition to analyzing their interactions with prototypes that simulated sustainable and environmentally preserved scenarios. To this end, the Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology was used, with the objective of preparing them to solve real-world issues. Data collection was carried out based on four instruments: initial diagnosis, interviews with teachers, questions about problem situations and discussion groups. The evaluation process was continuous, using learning rubrics, socialization of educational prototypes and drawings (sketches) that simulated sustainable cities. This methodological approach gave rise to the educational product “Mitigating Global Climate Change: A Strategy for Environmental Preservation,” embodied in a didactic sequence presented in the form of a booklet composed of three sections. The results demonstrated that the educational prototypes were an effective strategy for understanding GCCs, reproducing natural and modified scenarios, in addition to promoting the development of critical thinking in relation to environmental problems caused by human action. Furthermore, they encouraged investigation and reflection in the classroom on causes, consequences and possible solutions to mitigate GCCs, highlighting the importance of actions aimed at environmental preservation.