Environmental Conception of Students of the 3rd Grade of High School on the Theme Water: A Case Study in the City of Calçoene-AP-Brazil

Abstract

Aims: To assess 50 students of the third grade of high school in a state school of the city of Calçoene-Amapá-Brazil on the concepts physico-chemical and biological characteristcs of water and environmental conception of the students on the subject. Place and Duration of Study: This study was performed in a public high school of Amapá State in the city of Calçoene-AP, Brazil, which is the only school in the municipal capital, getting students from different locations. Study Design: The sample population was comprised of high school students (third year), the data was collected through surveys. Methodology: The research was qualitative and initially was made the choice of 50 students randomly of the 3rd grade of high school in the city of Calçoene-AP, about their knowledge of physical-chemical and biological characteristics of water and its environmental concepts. There was a bibliographical survey in textbooks of biology discipline used by school teachers, in order to verify that contents are directly related to the subject water and environmental education. Results: The study revealed that 60% of respondents (30 students) could not satisfactorily answer the question: "Water is made up of?", It is assumed that there was a doubt among the answers: "two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen" and "two oxygen atoms and a hydrogen," because they are similar, apparently. Environmental issues are commonly studied in biology course in high school, so the students were asked: In what biology content the theme water should be better addressed in the classroom? 56% (28 students) prefer to study the subject in water content disease, ecology and evolution; 20% (10 students) cited environmental pollution/contamination of water; 14% (7 students) stated that the issue should be addressed in the waste water treatment contents, sewage purification and production of drinking water. Finishing, 10% (5 students) related to the theme that should be addressed in all biology content in an interdisciplinary way. Conclusion: The deficiency of students to deal with the subject water is related to its approach in schools. The errors observed in students' responses suggest the need for an organized intervention in classes as a way to make students aware of environmental issues, especially regarding the studied subject. Also in this context, conceptual order problems, related to knowledge about the physical, chemical and biological properties in the theme in water, should be solved.