Percepção dos discentes do ensino médio profissional da Escola Pública Estadual de Limoeiro do Norte/CE, quanto à educação ambiental voltada ao saneamento básico.

Abstract

Since the beginning of the first Industrial Revolution, an intensified exploitation of natural resources has caused structural changes in the relationship between society and the environment. In Brazil, unregulated urban growth has increased environmental impacts, with greater incidence in areas near aquifers and dams, compromising public health and quality of life. In this context, it becomes essential to foster critical discussions on basic sanitation and sustainability, encouraging the formation of more conscious and engaged citizens. Seeking to understand this issue, this study analyzes the perception of students of the Professional High School State Education, at Limoeiro do Norte, CE, about basic sanitation, using an educational approach with Environmental Education techniques. The research was developed through the project methodology, structured in four phases: application of a semi-structured questionnaire, holding interdisciplinary classes, reapplication of the questionnaire and development of an educational booklet. This work is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 6, 11, 13, 14 and 15. The results showed significant progress in the students' understanding of basic sanitation. Initially, 62.3% of the participants correctly identified the four essential components of basic sanitation, but after the implementation of the educational intervention, this percentage rose to 84%. The perception of the importance of selective collection and its impact on the preservation of water bodies increased from 91.2% to 93.1%, while uncertainty about the topic fell from 3.3% to 0.4%, establishing greater conceptual clarity among the students. The methodology applied not only favored the acquisition of knowledge but also developed the students' autonomy in the search for solutions to environmental problems. The educational booklet, developed as the final product of this work, consolidated the students' learning, as it stimulated critical reflection on the importance of basic sanitation in the school community and in society. Thus, the use of Environmental Education techniques was an essential tool for training citizens engaged in promoting sustainability and in proposals for improving health infrastructure, highlighting the relevance of interdisciplinary pedagogical approaches for raising awareness and socio-environmental transformation.