Agroforestry system of the municipal school prof. Benjamin Padoa: a story that needs to be told

• Published in: Agroforestry systems Vol. 98; no. 5; pp. 1283 - 1302
• Main Authors: Oliveira e Silva Neves, Maridilva, da Silva, Ivone Vieira, Ambrósio, Moisés
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-06-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agroforestry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Botany; Community involvement; Courtyards; Data analysis; Education; Environmental education; Forestry; Life Sciences; Pedagogy; Botany teaching; Non-formal space; Environmental education; Agroforestry
• ISSN: 0167-4366; 1572-9680
• DOI: 10.1007/s10457-023-00946-9

The research aimed to recover the history of the implementation of an agroforestry project at the Professor Benjamin Padoa Municipal School, highlighting the components and organization of this system, as well as its importance in the school context. The methodology used involved the application of a semi-structured questionnaire to members of the school community involved in the project, in addition to the analysis of the political-pedagogical project, documents, videos and photographic records of the school, as well as laws and resolutions of the Municipal Education System. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively, following the development of the project since its inception, seeking to understand the motivations behind the implementation of the agroforestry system in the school and investigating its use and importance for the school community. In addition, the pedagogical potential of these non-formal teaching spaces was verified. The agroforestry system at the Professor Benjamin Padoa Municipal School started in 2003, after the completion of the new physical structure of the school, which left empty areas in the courtyard. Through the planting of several species, the opportunity arose to use this system as a non-formal teaching space, where practical science classes would be held, especially botany, in addition to activities related to environmental education. This theme is important in all subjects of the curriculum and should be worked on throughout all years of basic education. The results showed that, even without specific planning for the implementation of the agroforestry system, the afforestation carried out through practical activities made its creation possible. Based on this, the educational potential of this system as a pedagogical tool was explored.