ETNOBOTÂNICA: O ESTUDO DAS PLANTAS MEDICINAIS DA CAATINGA NO ENSINO MÉDIO

Abstract

Ethnobotany presents itself as a science whose purpose is the study and analysis of the relationship between human beings and plants, standing out as an important cultural tool. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the perception of high school students about the use of Caatinga medicinal plants in the treatment of pathologies. The study was conducted in SerritaPE, having as target audience the students from the 2nd year of high school of the EREM Desembargador João Paes School. Interviews were conducted as pretest and posttest from the application of semi-structured questionnaires, as well as the development of a lecture and dialogued about medicinal plants. From the data analysis, it can be seen that 69.7% of respondents live in the urban area. Regarding the knowledge of medicinal plants, all said they know about these plants and what they do and / or some family member makes use of. After performing the intervention it was possible to observe that the most cited medicinal species are native to Caatinga, showing a relatively high number when compared to the one obtained in the pretest. Students pointed out that there is a link of use and sharing of knowledge about these plants, as they are an integral and cultural part of the community. In addition, respondents stated that ethnobotanical studies are important for gaining knowledge about the correct use of these plants, such as preparation, quantity and dosage. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of lectures and dialogues are established as an excellent teachinglearning tool, especially regarding the themes that are part of their daily lives, highlighting that with the study it was possible to observe a sensitive incorporation of this knowledge.