Evaluation of the content on environmental problems in biology textbooks

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the content on environmental issues present in textbooks used in high school biology. Five works were evaluated by considering the following criteria: update; theoretical content, quality and use of graphics and pro-learning approach. The results demonstrate a brief overview of the content of the environmental issues, but current and consistent with the specificities available in the literature on specific topics. However, it was noted the absence of key information considered, such as the consequences of the environmental problem to environmental health, how people can contribute to the control or eradication of the environmental problem and examples of human activities that contribute to the occurrence of environmental problem. Thus, this study reinforces the need for continuous assessment of content present in biological textbooks, called attention to the importance of critical teacher worked on the content in the classroom and textbook and conveyed by finally contributes to the reflection that the book is a tool that should complement the teaching work, but that should not be the only teaching resource to be used.