CONSCIOUSNESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: A STUDY CONDUCTED IN PRIMARY ENGLISH CLASSES

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the importance of developing an eco-behavioral awareness in 1st Cycle of Basic Education students. To achieve this purpose, a study was conducted to answer the research question "Can the English classroom serve as a place for learning eco-sustainable behaviors?" as part of the final report for the Master's degree in English Teaching in the 1st Cycle of Basic Education. The adopted approach involved active learning processes, aiming to encourage students to play an active role in their own educational process by stimulating interaction, collaboration, and critical thinking.

The methodology employed in this research was ethnographic, involving the reading and analysis of data generated during the pedagogical proposal implemented in the context of supervised teaching practice with a 4th-grade class in a school in the Greater Porto area. Data were collected through questionnaires applied during the execution of the proposal, as well as through student assignments and field notes.

The answer to the research question is that the English classroom can not only serve for eco-sustainable learning but also has the power to environmentally sensitize children and provide space for environmental education in an English classroom.