The topic of snakes in teacher training

Résumé

Perceptions about snakes range from fascination to phobia. This topic allows us to discuss important environmental issues of basic education that must be approached with safety and empathy by teachers. Considering that environmental education is a curriculum guideline to be developed by teachers from different areas of knowledge, we investigated which factors influence the attitude ofundergraduate students in dealing with the topic in an extra-classroom activity when encountering a snake. Future teachers (n=120) were evaluated through an online survey regarding their area of expertise, training stage, values, and emotion or feeling, in relation to their professional attitude when faced with a snake. We found that only “fear” feeling and “scientist” value interfered in the response of future teachers. Environmental education with stigmatized animals is strongly indicated for undergraduate courses to expand positive didactic experiences that minimize preconceptions and fears and, thus, facilitate the (re)construction of knowledge.