Ethnochemistry in rural Education

Dialogues Between Scientific and Kaiowá Cultural Knowledge at Senador Saldanha Derzi State School, Montese District, Itaporã, MS

Abstract

This study aims to introduce and explore the perspectives and assumptions of Ethnochemistry as a sociocultural approach in the teaching and learning process of Chemistry for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students enrolled in the evening high school program at Colégio Estadual Senador Saldanha Derzi, within the Rural Education modality, located in the municipality of Itaporã, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The research seeks to investigate how the principles of Ethnochemistry can be meaningfully and effectively integrated into the Chemistry curriculum, fostering dialogue between scientific content and the cultural realities of Indigenous peoples. This integration aims to enhance the alterity of Indigenous students by valuing their traditional knowledge, cultural practices, and unique ways of understanding nature. By articulating scientific knowledge with traditional knowledge and practices, the study intends to promote a broader, more inclusive, and contextualized perspective in the teaching of Natural Sciences. The central objective of this study is to value Indigenous cultural diversity through the incorporation of Ethnochemistry into Chemistry education, contributing to a specific, differentiated, and bilingual Indigenous School Education. It is expected that the results of this work will generate pedagogical and political impacts both within the school and the broader educational community, strengthening ethnoknowledge, mother tongue, culture, spirituality, worldview, and the relationship with territory, while also promoting a more equitable and inclusive learning environment.