Ethnobotany in teaching research and its pedagogical potential: Know what? Know whose? Know why? Know how?

Abstract

Ethnobotanical research reveals knowledge generated in the interaction between sociocultural groups and the plant diversity of their territory. In the educational field, studies indicate that ethnobotanical knowledge can collaborate with students' learning and education. Aiming to amplify such pedagogical potential, this work intended to identify categories that reveal how research in teaching approaches ethnobotanical knowledge. For this, the "state of the art" method was applied, having as its theme the popular knowledge about plants and as a basis for analysis the works published in all editions of three major events in the field of research in teaching - ENEBIO, EPEA, ENPEC - carried out from 1997 to 2020. 136 works were selected, representing 1.10% of the total production of events in this period. Data analysis was based on 4 descriptors: ethnobotanical knowledge approached; knowledge producer group; justifications to include ethnobotanical knowledge; and insertion of ethnobotanical knowledge. The results revealed the predominance of knowledge about the medicinal potential and about the cultivation and management. The knowledge covered, in general, belonged to ethnic, regional and rural groups. Among the reasons for including ethnobotanical knowledge in teaching, cultural, pedagogical and environmental benefits were highlighted. Survey of popular knowledge and proposition of didactic sequences were the most frequent ways to insert ethnobotanical knowledge in research. It was concluded that ethnobotanical knowledge has potential for a multicultural education, but that one must pay attention to the risk of a utilitarian approach to this knowledge.