Educação ambiental nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental: contribuições e limites da produção acadêmica brasileira (2020 – 2025)

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes how Environmental Education (EE) has been conceived, approached, and operationalized in the early years of Elementary Education, based on Brazilian academic production published between 2020 and 2025. The study is situated within the context of the worsening contemporary socio-environmental crisis and is grounded in the recognition of Environmental Education as a political, ethical, and pedagogical field that is fundamental to the formation of critical subjects from childhood onward. Methodologically, the research is characterized as qualitative and bibliographic in nature, adopting the integrative review as its central investigative procedure. The survey was conducted using the CAPES Theses and Dissertations Portal and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), initially identifying 216 studies, of which 17 (15 master’s dissertations and 2 doctoral theses) constituted the final corpus after the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis made it possible to identify trends, recurrences, gaps, and tensions within the academic production, revealing that although Environmental Education is addressed in normative and curricular documents, its implementation in the early years of Elementary Education remains fragile, often associated with punctual practices, isolated projects, and conservative or pragmatic approaches. The analyzed studies reveal persistent challenges related to teacher education, curricular transversality, and the incorporation of critical, sensitive, and socially situated perspectives. lt is concluded that Environmental Education in the early years of Elementary Education remains a field under construction, requiring greater investment in teacher education, theoretical deepening, and pedagogical practices that recognize both children and teachers as historical subjects and active participants in contemporary socio-environmental struggles.