ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND PATHWAYS TO BUILDING ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS

Abstract

This article analyzes the approach to environmental education from a geographical perspective at the Prof. Antônio de Pádua Martins de Melo Elementary School, located in the municipality of Porto Feliz, part of the Sorocaba Metropolitan Region (São Paulo state). The research investigates how pedagogical practices related to sustainability and recycling are developed in the school context and how they contribute to the formation of students' environmental awareness. Based on the National Environmental Education Policy (Law No. 9.795/1999) and critical references to Brazilian environmental education, the study starts from the understanding that territory constitutes a central element in the construction of socio-environmental knowledge. Methodologically, a qualitative approach is adopted, with the application of semi-structured interviews to teachers and managers, questionnaires to students, and direct observation of school practices. The results show that, although the environmental theme is present in specific projects and actions, there are still weaknesses in systematic curricular integration and in the articulation between theory and practice. Gaps were identified in specific teacher training and in the consolidation of interdisciplinary strategies that promote transformative praxis. It is concluded that the territorialization of environmental education represents a promising path to strengthen the link between school, community, and local socio-environmental reality, contributing to the formation of critical, conscious individuals committed to sustainability. The study reinforces the need for continuous educational policies and investments in teacher training to consolidate a critical and emancipatory environmental education.