ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN BASIC EDUCATION: THE CONTEXT OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Environmental Education; Water Resources; Active Methodologies.
This dissertation analyzes the socio-spatial invisibility of urban water bodies, a phenomenon that compromises territorial perception and participatory water resources management. In this context, Environmental Education, supported by participatory teaching strategies, is examined as a tool for reconnecting students with their lived environment. The main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a pedagogical intervention based on Active Methodologies in strengthening environmental awareness and the sense of belonging among high school students at a school located within the Pitimbu River Basin, the focus of this research. Grounded in the continuous improvement logic of the PDCA Cycle (Plan–Do–Check–Act), the study adopted a hybrid approach integrating Problem-Based Learning, digital mapping with geotechnologies, and three-dimensional physical modeling using low-cost scale models. The results, obtained through pre- and post-intervention questionnaires and validated using Student’s t-test (p < 0.05), revealed a significant improvement in students’ spatial cognition. As the final product of this work, a pedagogical handbook was developed for teachers working in schools within the basin, conceived as a practical guide of activities for local water resources management. The study concludes that bringing the watershed into the classroom transforms technical education into a concrete act of citizenship and socio-environmental belonging.