Biology and geology teachers’ perspectives on environmental problems and positioning in an environmental ethics dilemma

Current global concerns invite reflection on which qualities, characteristics, or capacities should be prioritised in ecosystems so that judgements of moral relevance lead to actions, policies, and programmes whose impacts are environmentally sustainable. Regarding the importance of teachers’ role in education, as agents of change, it was considered pertinent to investigate the perceptions of Portuguese Biology and Geology teachers about environmental problems and their position concerning an environmental ethical dilemma. A questionnaire was applied at a national level, with closed and open-ended questions. The main results show that: teachers consider all the environmental problems presented to be very relevant; statistically significant relationships were found between age and professional qualifications and the relevance attributed to some environmental problems, showing that age and studies influence their perception of environmental problems; when confronted with lithium mining dilemma, just over half said that this activity has negative impacts on the environment, while the remaining were divided between indecision and a position that tends to be favourable to economic and tourism factors. It seems essential to focus attention on teacher training, particularly using environmental ethics dilemmas, as a starting point for an effective approach that can contribute to the discussion and resolution of environmental problems.