La educación ambiental en escolares con discapacidad intelectual

Abstract

Introduction: The perception of risk in a vulnerable population, with intellectual disabilities is essential to rise the quality of life of all its inhabitants. Educating people with intellectual disability in the reduction, reusability and the recycling of household wastes has an effect on the environmental awareness of the entire community. An environmental characterization of the Municipality of Placetas, Villa Clara, Cuba was made for this research, as well as a critical analysis of Environmental Education in the world, especially in Cuba, and how it influences the quality of life of these people. Objective: This article aims to build, as a result of a participative-action- research approach, a system of means and knowledge for Environmental Education for the first cycle students with intellectual disabilities. Methodology: The methodology used was of qualitative type and the methods used for the research were researcher diary, a temporary map, document analysis, a pedagogical test, products of the activity, informal groups of discussion and case study. With these methods and techniques, it was possible to detect the low perception of the environmental risk and the inefficient recycling of household waste. Results and conclusion: The research, which was developed during four years, had the following results: it demonstrated that Environmental Education of schoolchildren with intellectual disabilities is a subject of interest in the community and in the country; families changed their ways of acting in relation to household waste; the family was receptive about the qualification of the teachers training; the classes included interdisciplinarity of their locality problems and the educational ways of solution; schoolchildren with intellectual disabilities were more attentive and motivated facing the subject, reason why they developed imagination and creativity with the use of the proposed means.