Pesquisa em educação ambiental e percepção ambiental

Abstract

This article aims to provide a brief historical overview of the research field of environmental perception, focusing on how the reflections produced by it have been incorporated in environmental education research. In order to do so, we first analyse the origins of the perception studies in psychology and the moment when they leave that base so as to enter other knowledge fields, such as architecture and human geography, where they will be influenced by different approaches, including phenomenology. After that, we mention some Brazilian works on environmental perception. We also refer to current philosophical influences on perception research, especially from the aesthetic theory. Finally, we sum up these ideas based on the discussions by the Discussion Group on Environmental Perception at the IV Research Meeting on Environmental Education (EPEA), where the researchers involved pointed out the main requirements and perspectives of the studies in this field.