Compostagem Doméstica como Estratégia Pedagógica no Ensino de Química no Ensino Médio: Desenvolvimento de Habilidades Não Cognitivas

Resumo

Chemistry teaching in high school faces persistent challenges, including conceptual abstraction and low student motivation, which are intensified in public schools located in socially vulnerable areas. This study investigated the use of domestic composting as a pedagogical strategy in a high school in the Baixada Fluminense region (RJ), integrating conceptual content, environmental education, and the development of noncognitive skills. Using a qualitativequantitative approach, the intervention involved secondyear students and included socioemotional activities, dialogic lessons, a technical visit to an Environmental Education Center, and the construction of lowcost compost bins using repurposed materials. Students monitored physicochemical parameters such as pH, temperature, and mass, relating them to topics including matter transformation, thermochemistry, and biogeochemical cycles. The results indicated increased student engagement, improved academic performance, and strengthened selfesteem and socioenvironmental awareness through the practical application of chemical concepts. The findings suggest that composting is an effective interdisciplinary tool that integrates scientific rigor with human development in vulnerable contexts. It also functions as a generative theme that humanizes science education, fostering student agency and sustainable citizenship in alignment with national curriculum guidelines (BNCC) and environmental legislation. The study highlights the potential for expanding this practice to support sustainability directives in public education systems.