Education for the sustainability of teaching practice in degree courses on Biology in the state of Pará within the Aamazon area

Abstract

The objective of this study was to verify the theoretical and/or methodological approaches and perspectives that professors from degree courses on Biology, in the State of Pará within the Amazon area, take into consideration in relation to Education for Sustainability in the basic training of their students. The field research, based on a quality approach, involved professors from public Higher Education Institutions that have provided the degree course on Biology for at least five years. Data collection consisted of a questionnaire including 28 questions of specific nature, spread out in seven categories contextualized with the principles of Education for Sustainability and six general questions related to the basic training of participants. The results have been analyzed utilizing software Iramuteq and expressed through the use of similitude trees and specificity analysis. It was possible to verify that, in their teaching practices, professors emphasize the following principles: “right to life”, “right to equality”, and “right to respect”. On the other hand, the principle “right to culture” was the one with most significant discrepancy values. Generally speaking, professors have indicated perspectives of teaching that prioritize a critical, contextualized, and practical formation intended for their students. A careful need for reformulation and update of the teaching practice was observed, in what it concerns the inclusion and strengthening of the cultural, social, and environmental dimensions.