Environmental Education in higher education institutions in Northern region (Brazil)

A bibliographic study on doctoral theses

Abstract

This study analyzes academic productions of dissertations related to Environmental Education (EE) in the Northern region of Brazil. The research problem consists of identifying the approaches, trends, and gaps present in dissertations that discuss the integration of EE. The objective is to map and analyze these academic productions to assess the state of the art on the subject. This is a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory research that uses document analysis of 34 abstract of the dissertations defended between 2019 and 2024 at higher education institutions in Northern Region of Brazil. The methodology involved Content Analysis, as proposed by Bardin (2011), complemented using IRaMuTeQ software for Correspondence Factor Analysis. The theoretical framework is based on authors such as Loureiro (2004), who discusses EE as a critical and transformative practice; Tristão (2012), who emphasizes the need to overcome disciplinarization; and Souza and Garcia (2023), who address the specificities of teacher training in the Southwestern Amazon. The analyzed dissertations were categorized into four classes: Environmental Education; Sustainability and Environment; Teacher Training; and Public Policies and Environmental Management. Studies focused on pedagogical practices of environmental awareness and natural resource management predominate, but with little articulation between theory and practice, especially in the Amazonian context. It is concluded that there is a need for curricular reformulation, appreciation of local knowledge, and strengthening of public policies that promote the training of critical teachers prepared to work in complex socio-environmental contexts.