Déficit de natureza na infância e Educação Ambiental Crítica: reflexões sobre práticas e possibilidades na Educação Infantil

Abstract

Contemporary childhood experiences a growing detachment from the natural environment, a phenomenon conceptualized as "nature-deficit disorder" (Louv, 2018). Given this issue, the general objective of this study was to analyze how Environmental Education (EE) can help minimize this deficit in Early Childhood Education (ECE). To this end, a bibliographic research and documentary analysis with a qualitative approach were adopted. The investigation revealed that, although contact with nature brings holistic health benefits, current pedagogical practices of EE in ECE are predominantly conservative or pragmatic, focusing on decontextualized individual actions. It was found that these approaches are insufficient to address the structural causes of the problem. As the main result, the research identifies Critical Environmental Education (CEE) as the most appropriate pedagogical approach, as it goes beyond mere exposure to the environment and promotes the development of agency, critical consciousness, and a sense of socio-environmental justice. The study concludes by proposing a pedagogical flow that translates the principles of Critical-Transformative Environmental Education via Generative Theme (CTEE-GT) into the structural axes of ECE — interactions and play. This flow is organized starting from teaching intentionality, passing through interaction and reflection, and culminating in transformative action, demonstrating a viable path for the formation of critical subjects who belong to the world from early childhood.