ECOLOGICAL TRAILS FOR SCIENCE TEACHING IN BASIC EDUCATION: LOOK FROM THE TEACHER PERSPECTIVE

ABSTRACT Ecological trails materialize potential educational spaces for the teaching-learning process. Thus, this study aims to investigate the didactic-pedagogical contributions of ecological trails based on the understanding of 22 teachers of Science, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry of the Basic Education of 16 municipalities from state of Espírito Santo. In light of the action-research methodology, it was evidenced that the trails constitute singular non-formal spaces, since they provide the mediation of knowledge in situ, outdoors (without walls, subject to weather and surprises), which impels educators to an accurate look at the planning of their practice and at the activities before and after the field (experience on the trail). The research concluded that the trails corroborate teaching autonomy, configure a motivating didactic-pedagogical possibility and contribute to the construction and/or consolidation of salutary social and environmental values.