Reflexões sobre o ensino de botânica: desafios, dificuldades, importância e estratégias metodológicas

Abstract

This work is characterized as a bibliographic study on the teaching of botany in the Brazilian context. Searches were carried out on the Google Scholar and Scielo platforms, using the descriptors ‘’Botany teaching’’, ‘’history of botany teaching’’, ‘’botany teaching and environmental education’’, ‘’botanical blindness’’. The academic production inherent in the last 45 years regarding the teaching-learning of botany in basic education was considered. The aim is to present an overview of botany teaching and the needs to overcome problems related to it. The authors whose works were analyzed indicate the existence of recurring didactic and methodological problems and difficulties related to learning this area of knowledge, especially due to the fact that it is taught in an essentially descriptive way and distant from the students' reality. Historical problems related to this area are highlighted, such as the low value given to learning botany in schools and teacher training courses, the botanical blindness that prevails in society, the training needs presented by basic education teachers and little performance significant impact on the part of these professionals in relation to the students’ training needs. However, many authors present promising perspectives based on studies that analyzed the educational possibilities of teaching botany to basic education students. There is a recurring need to offer teachers more consistent training, with a view to contributing to the formation of citizens who can, through the appropriation of knowledge about botany, make more elaborate readings of the Brazilian environmental reality and develop a conservationist vision .