THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT: SUSTAINABLE PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Abstract

When addressed transversally within the curriculum, environmental education promotes educational experiences that expand sensitivity and strengthen the perception of environmental care as an integral part of community life. This study aims to analyze how environmental education contributes to the critical development of children, examining how teachers transform everyday situations into pedagogical opportunities focused on the development of ecological awareness. The research is characterized as a qualitative literature review based on academic publications released between 2010 and 2025, which address environmental education in different educational contexts. The analysis of these works enabled the identification of distinct conceptions of the theme and a deeper understanding of how sustainable pedagogical practices have been incorporated into school environments. The studies indicate that activities such as plant cultivation, material recycling, exploration of natural spaces, and participation in collective projects foster not only content learning but also the development of affective bonds with the environment. The results highlight that teachers play a central role in this process, as their actions influence attitudes, values, and meanings attributed to the human–nature relationship. It is concluded that the continuous and meaningful integration of environmental education into the school context expands formative possibilities in childhood, contributing to the development of more sensitive, critical, and environmentally conscious children with a sense of responsibility Graduando em Licenciatura em for the preservation of life.