A Survey of High School Students' Perceptions about Environmental Challenges

Abstract: This study presents the results of a survey aimed at assessing high school students' opinions about current environmental challenges in order to discuss the role of science education in the development of students’ environmental awareness. The survey, which involved high school students from public and private schools of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, was carried out with the administration of a questionnaire. The data were analyzed in relation to the gender and the type of school of the respondents, utilizing statistical tools. The results show that students care about the problems of the environment and believe that science can solve some of them, but they do not show optimism about the future of the planet. Therefore, results reinforce the need for contextualization of problems related to environmental challenges in science lessons, aiming at further developing students' reflexive skills.