Educação em saúde na disciplina de Ciências: percepções dos profissionais da educação e saúde em Manaus/AM

Abstract

Misinformation has caused significant impacts on society, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing the fragility of the population's knowledge about health. The spread of false information about treatments and cures revealed the need for more effective teaching of health concepts, especially in the school environment, where many students relied solely on their teachers as a reliable source. Educators struggled to answer complex questions about the pandemic, often because they didn't feel properly prepared. This research investigates whether the teaching of health concepts in schools prepares students to raise awareness about their health and that of others or if it is limited to decorative learning. The documentary research was based on the National Common Curriculum Base, the Amazonian Curriculum Reference and the National Curriculum Parameters, aiming to identify health concepts and related skills. Then, 11 interviews were conducted with education and health professionals and specialists in Health Literacy.The content analysis of these interviews investigated the perceptions of these professionals about the teaching of health topics in the discipline of Science. The results indicate that education professionals intend to train students with competencies and skills of health-literate individuals. However, several limitations have been identified that compromise the quality of teaching on health topics. Among them, we highlight the superficial insertion of health concepts in the educational curriculum, the lack of specialized training in health by educators, and the traditional teaching of these themes, which limits the development of students' reflective and critical capacity and the applicability of this knowledge in their daily lives. The research highlights the need for a more holistic, transdisciplinary and contemporary approach to health education in schools. The integration of health knowledge also reflects on the levels of health literacy that a person can achieve, suggesting that these levels may correspond to the development of skills inherent to the process of Scientific Literacy.This is important for strengthening society and preparing citizens to face challenges and seize future opportunities.