PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS OF THE TECHNICIAN COURSE INTEGRATED INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT THE CAATINGA BIOME

• Autor(a) principal: Lucena, Danielly da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Melo, Aline, Santos, Marinalva Valdevino dos, Leão Junior, Reginaldo Gonçalves
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Reamec
• Texto Completo: https://periodicoscientificos.ufmt.br/ojs/index.php/reamec/article/view/16071
• topic: Conservation; Environmental education; Protect Area; Semi-arid; Conservação; Educação Ambiental; . Semiárido; Unidades de Conservação; Áreas de conservación; Conservación; Educación ambiental; Zonas semiáridas

There is a consensus that knowledge is a basic requisite for the preservation of any biome. However, one in three teenagers does not know in which biome they live, a deeply concerning statistic when we consider the need to preserve biodiversity for future generations. Our study aims to investigate whether this proportion is maintained in the semi-arid region of Paraíba and to evaluate the knowledge and perception of the students from the high school-integrated Agricultural Technician Course  about the Caatinga biome. Data were collected from 77 first-year students through a survey consisting of 13 objective and open-ended questions. Among them, approximately 53% claimed to live in the Caatinga biome, exceeding the national average. The students mentioned plants and animals native of the biome; but  introduced, exotic or domesticated species were frequently reported (e.g., neem and cattle). Unfortunately, no student reported visiting a Protect Area. Nevertheless, they cited several ways to preserve and conserve the Caatinga, such as not starting fires, avoiding pollution of water bodies, and reducing food waste. The students drew the Caatinga landscape with few elements, and some held a negative view of the biome. All the topics covered in the survey were discussed in a group conversation, which clarified several concepts and resolved questions of the interviewees.