A pesquisa em educação/ensino em herpetologia: análise dos trabalhos publicados nos anais do congresso brasileiro de herpetologia - CBH (período 2013 - 2017)

Abstract

Herpetology consists of the branch of Zoology focused on the study of amphibians and reptiles, which are represented, respectively, by: caecilians, salamanders, toads, frogs, and tree frogs; crocodilians, turtles, tuataras, lizards, and snakes. Currently, Brazil holds a prominent position when it comes to the herpetofauna existing within its territory, owning the greatest diversity in this group. However, there is a clear negative relationship between humans and herpetofauna due to myths, legends, popular beliefs, and cultural representations surrounding them. In view of this, it is essential to promote educational research that encompasses various educational spheres, with a focus on the conservation of herpetofauna and the need to improve the coexistence of humans with nature. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the contributions to Education/Teaching in Herpetology provided by research published in the proceedings of the Brazilian Congress of Herpetology (CBH) from 2013 to 2017. This is a bibliographical research, with a qualitative approach and anchored in categorical content analysis. The data show that there is still a low presence of research in Education/Teaching in Herpetology within the CBH (2.8%). In the field of educational research in Herpetology, Environmental Education was the most frequent educational area (34.12%), and also the most prevalent thematic area (42.03%). Regarding the applied approaches and methods, it was found that the majority of authors did not clearly specify the ones they followed in their work. Similarly, a significant portion of the authors did not disclose the data collection techniques (31.51%) and data analysis (93.75%) used in their research. In general, it was possible to outline a general profile of the published works, consisting of research focused on the conservation/preservation of herpetofauna and the environment, with Environmental Education as a process contributing to achieving this purpose. Additionally, utilizing Ethnoeducation/Ethnozoology as a way to encompass the sociocultural dimensions that permeate the process, linking education with traditional knowledge and the reality of society. In conclusion, the research in Education/Teaching in Herpetology is creating a space, albeit modestly, for educational research within such a specific field of Biology.