Integrating Natural Science Teaching Knowledge for Planetary Health Education: A Study in a Riverside Community in the Amazon

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the integration of prior knowledge among elementary school students in a riparian community in the Amazon, within the context of five crucial domains for Planetary Health Education. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire comprising nine open-ended questions, administered to 9th-grade students in the southwest region of Amazonas, Brazil. Analyses were performed using Nvivo 1.5 software, in conjunction with relative frequency. The results indicated that the students from the riverside communities have a strong identification with the nature that surrounds them, and that this inclusion in science teaching is fundamental. Furthermore, they identified and reported the main environmental challenges faced by the local community. It was observed that slightly over half of the students understand the direct relationship between environmental impacts and human health. They also expressed awareness of their rights and proposed necessary changes to mitigate local environmental impacts. Based on the data discussed within the context of Planetary Health, the need to pay special attention to these students living in rural environments through scientific literacy is highlighted. Many of them still lack a full understanding of the environmental impacts affecting their future, their rights, and the crucial importance of considering an interconnected planet.

Keywords

• amazon
• rural education
• planetary health
• science education
• nature