Challenges of training and critical reflection to improve the conceptions of environment and environmental education in basic education teachers Retos de la formación y la reflexión crítica para mejorar las concepciones de ambiente y educación ambiental en profesores de educación básica

Abstract

The research is framed in the teaching of environmental education (EE) and the problem of reduced conceptions of the environment, EE and its teaching by teachers, which has hindered a true
inclusion of the environmental dimension in the school. One of the questions raised was: How does a process of training and critical reflection contribute to the improvement of conceptions of the environment and environmental education of basic education teachers? and, as one of its objectives, to identify changes in the conceptions of environment and environmental education in relation to their teaching, in a group of basic education teachers who participated in the process of training and critical reflection on EE teaching. The research is qualitative with action research and case study features. The data was obtained after the application of a questionnaire on two occasions, at the beginning and at the end of the training process. The most representative changes in teachers are evidenced in passing from reduced visions of the environment and EE to more systemic and even complex visions. These changes suggest that training and reflective processes are essential to change reductionist conceptions rooted in teachers and consequently improve their classroom practices.