Diagnosis of environmental education in Physical education in Primary education. Results (Original)

Abstract

The article is part of the thesis of the Master "Methodology of Contemporary Physical Education" from the Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas. It addresses the diagnosis of environmental education within Physical Education at a primary school located in the Plan Turquino-Bamburanao area of Caibarién, Villa Clara province. The results of this diagnosis are presented for students, teachers, and school administrators, providing a foundation for the development of a proposal aimed at enhancing environmental education for students in the context of Plan Turquino. The area where the primary school is located is notable for its proximity to the sea and its flat terrain, which does not align with the mountainous characteristic that defines the Plan. Therefore, environmental education must be adapted to these specific environmental conditions. The findings were obtained through document analysis, student surveys, teacher and administrator interviews, classroom observations, percentage analysis as a procedure of the statistical method and/or mathematical processing, and data triangulation. They reveal that teachers and administrators perceive environmental education as limited to the care, protection, and conservation of the environment, without always integrating the environmental value of the curriculum content. While students theoretically understand the importance of care, protection, and conservation, they lack knowledge about sustainable development. In practice, their behaviors often contradict their stated understanding. However, students show enthusiasm for engaging with environmental education through Physical Education classes.