3D Pedagogical Kits and teaching strategies for Environmental Education in the CTS/CTSA context

Abstract

Environmental education in public schools generally faces numerous challenges, including the engagement of educational institutions, collective planning for critical reflection on the process, where the involvement and commitment of school management directly influences the training of educators to act as environmental educators. It was with the aim of understanding and acting to tackle some of these challenges that the Rio Doce School Project has sought, among other actions, to promote scientific literacy with a focus on Science, Technology, Society and the Environment (CTSA) and digital literacy in order to democratize access to relevant knowledge and enhance the praxis of Environmental Education in all subjects. This work involves the development of a series of teaching materials modeled and printed by 3D printers for use in science teaching by public school teachers. A support e-book entitled “3D Pedagogical Kit for Environmental Education” was also developed, presenting the production process of the pieces and the technology used, as well as contextualizing each of the models with several of the environmental and socio-environmental consequences generated by the collapse of the Rio Doce dam in 2015, in Mariana - Minas Gerais. The material was given to more than 200 elementary school teachers to be used in school practice. The participating teachers were part of the first intake of the Environmental Education Improvement and Specialization courses offered by the Rio Doce School Project. This is a qualitative, theoretical-empirical, descriptive and exploratory study.