CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT SCHOOL: THE FORMATION OF ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS FROM THE EARLY YEARS

Abstract

This article aims to analyze Critical Environmental Education (CEE) as a formative path for developing ecological awareness from the early years of elementary school, recognizing the school’s role as a space for social and environmental transformation. The research, of a bibliographic and qualitative nature, is based on authors who discuss the critical dimension of environmental education, such as Loureiro (2021), Guimarães (2020), Carvalho (2021) and Sato (2022), in addition to official documents such as the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC, 2018). The results indicate that CEE promotes the formation of reflective, ethical, and participatory individuals capable of understanding the relationship between human beings, society, and nature. It was observed that critical and interdisciplinary teaching practices enhance the experience of sustainability in school life, fostering empathy, solidarity, and co-responsibility. It is concluded that Critical Environmental Education is a fundamental pedagogical and political tool for consolidating a transformative ecological culture based on social justice and the defense of life.