Abstract

AZEVEDO, Hugo José Coelho Corrêa de; LEITE, Vinicius Souza Magalhães  and  MEIRELLES, Rosane Moreira Silva de. Dialectical materialism in zoology teaching: The emergence of an animal-environment-society for 21st-century education. Ciência educ. [online]. 2025, vol.31, e25010.  Epub Mar 11, 2025. ISSN 1980-850X.  https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-731320250010.

This essay explores zoology teaching through the lens of dialectical materialism, focusing on the relationship between animals, the environment, and society in the 21st century. Zoology promotes multiple perspectives regarding animal identity and its significance in environmental diversity, which leads to a discussion of the mechanistic philosophical discourse that views animals as mere machines of the 19th century. In addition, the Brazilian National Common Curriculum (BNCC) dilutes contemporary issues in the curriculum, while neoliberal ideologies rely on outdated business practices. At the same time, we see the rise of scientific denialism and the continued growth of agribusiness. It becomes clear that the relationship between animals, the environment, and society is strongly influenced by the means of production. These dynamics shape the microstructure of the school curriculum, resulting in zoology teaching that does not resonate with students' experiences and reinforces an extractivist and commercial narrative of the environment and living beings.

Keywords : Zoology teaching; Dialectical historical materialism; Capitalism.

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