A Cognitive Approach to Mathematical Mapping: From Classical Education to Meaningful Environmental Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21664/2238-8869.2026v15i2.8848Palavras-chave:
meaningful learning, environmental education, classical education, mathmapResumo
This study examines how integrating a cognitivist approach with the principles of classical education can promote meaningful learning and critical thinking in addressing contemporary environmental and sustainability challenges, particularly through the synergy of MathMap strategies. This research draws upon the liberal arts in dialogue with David Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning. This synthesis is explored for its potential to enrich pedagogical practices, anchor new knowledge in pre-existing cognitive structures, and enhance the understanding of environmental issues. Grounded in cognitivist and classical frameworks, as well as the principles of critical environmental education, the study aligns with education for sustainable development from the United Nations, which emphasizes education for sustainability through critical and reflective engagement. The findings suggest that this approach contributes significantly to the development of reflective, ethical, and critical individuals capable of navigating complex sustainability issues.
Referências
ABRANDT DAHLGREN, Madeleine; ÖBERG, Gunilla. Questioning to learn and learning to question: Structure and function of problem-based learning scenarios in environmental science education. Higher Education, v. 41, n. 3, p. 263–282, Apr. 2001.
ALMULLA, Mohammed Abdullatif; ALAMRI, Mahdi Mohammed. Using Conceptual Mapping for Learning to Affect Students’ Motivation and Academic Achievement. Sustainability, v. 13, n. 7, p. 4029, Jan. 2021.
ANDREWS, Kristen E.; TRESSLER, Kurt D.; MINTZES, Joel J. Assessing environmental understanding: an application of the concept mapping strategy. Environmental Education Research, v. 14, n. 5, p. 519–536, 1 Oct. 2008.
AUSUBEL, David P. The psychology of meaningful verbal learning. Oxford, England: Grune & Stratton, 1963. p. xiv, 255
AUSUBEL, David P. Aquisição e retenção de conhecimentos: uma perspectiva cognitiva. [S.l.]: Lisboa, 2003. v. 1
AUSUBEL, David Paul; NOVAK, Joseph D.; HANESIAN, Helen. Psicologia educacional. [S.l.]: Interamericana, 1980.
BAMGBOYE, Taiwo Temitope; AVELLÁN, Tamara. Conceptual Map as a Tool for Evaluation in Complexity Science: Usage and Limitations. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 6 May 2025.
BARRAZA, Laura; RUIZ-MALLEN, Isabel. The 4D’s: a pedagogical model to enhance reasoning and action for environmental and socio-scientific issues. Wageningen: Wageningen Acad Publ, 2017. p. 257–269
BEAUDOUIN-LAFON, Matthew; XIA, Haijun. MathMap: Supporting Exploratory Problem Solving with Algebra. In: : UIST ’21 Adjunct.New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery, 10 Oct. 2021.
BULUT, Neslihan; BORROMEO FERRI, Rita. Bridging Mathematical Modelling and Education for Sustainable Development in Pre-Service Primary Teacher Education. Education Sciences, v. 15, n. 2, p. 248, Feb. 2025.
BUSI, Ramesh; GANDIPILLI, Gaddeyya; KURAMANA, Subhashini. Elements of Environmental Education, Curriculum and Teacher’s Perspective: A Review. Integrated Journal for Research in Arts and Humanities, v. 3, n. 6, p. 9–17, 5 Nov. 2023.
COLES, Alf; SOLARES-ROJAS, Armando; LE ROUX, Kate. Socio-ecological gestures of mathematics education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, v. 116, n. 2, p. 165–183, Jun. 2024.
CONRAD, Leon. Integration and the liberal arts: a historical overview. On the Horizon, v. 21, n. 1, p. 46–56, 2014.
DIENER, David. The Principles of Classical Education. Principia: A Journal of Classical Education, 2024.
DOBYNS, Ann; LASKAYA, Anne. Introduction: Rhetorical Approaches to Malory’s Morte Darthur. Arthuriana, v. 13, n. 3, p. 3–9, 2003.
FARIAS, Gabriela Belmont de. Contributos da aprendizagem significativa de David Ausubel para o desenvolvimento da Competência em Informação. Perspectivas em Ciência da Informação, v. 27, n. 2, p. 58–76, 2022.
FERNÁNDEZ FERNÁNDEZ, Eduardo José. Retórica y Educación: una aproximación a la escuela romana. Revista Española de Pedagogía, v. 80, n. 283, p. 475–490, 1 Sep. 2022.
GIANGRANDE, Naresh et al. A Competency Framework to Assess and Activate Education for Sustainable Development: Addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals 4.7 Challenge. Sustainability, v. 11, n. 10, p. 2832, Jan. 2019.
GILMORE, Camilla. Understanding the complexities of mathematical cognition: A multi-level framework. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, v. 76, n. 9, p. 1953–1972, 1 Sep. 2023a.
GILMORE, Camilla. Understanding the complexities of mathematical cognition: A multi-level framework. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, v. 76, n. 9, p. 1953–1972, 1 Sep. 2023b.
GUEVARA HERRERO, Irene et al. Promoviendo la Didáctica de la Educación Ambiental mediante una propuesta que fomenta el razonamiento científico-matemático. 2023.
GUEVARA-HERRERO, Irene; BRAVO-TORIJA, Beatriz; PÉREZ-MARTÍN, José Manuel. Educational Practice in Education for Environmental Justice: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Sustainability, v. 16, n. 7, p. 2805, Jan. 2024a.
GUEVARA-HERRERO, Irene; BRAVO-TORIJA, Beatriz; PÉREZ-MARTÍN, José Manuel. Educational Practice in Education for Environmental Justice: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Sustainability, v. 16, n. 7, p. 2805, Jan. 2024b.
HANGER-KOPP, Susanne; LEMKE, Leonard Kwhang-Gil; BEIER, Julia. What qualitative systems mapping is and what it could be: integrating and visualizing diverse knowledge of complex problems. Sustainability Science, v. 19, n. 3, p. 1065–1078, 1 May 2024.
HELBIG, Carolin et al. Challenges and strategies for the visual exploration of complex environmental data. International Journal of Digital Earth, v. 10, n. 10, p. 1070–1076, 3 Oct. 2017.
HOUDÉ, Olivier; TZOURIO-MAZOYER, Nathalie. Neural foundations of logical and mathematical cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, v. 4, n. 6, p. 507–514, Jun. 2003a.
HOUDÉ, Olivier; TZOURIO-MAZOYER, Nathalie. Neural foundations of logical and mathematical cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, v. 4, n. 6, p. 507–514, Jun. 2003b.
HOWLETT, Cathy; FERREIRA, Jo-Anne; BLOMFIELD, Jessica. Teaching sustainable development in higher education: Building critical, reflective thinkers through an interdisciplinary approach. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v. 17, n. 3, p. 305–321, 3 May 2016a.
HOWLETT, Cathy; FERREIRA, Jo-Anne; BLOMFIELD, Jessica. Teaching sustainable development in higher education: Building critical, reflective thinkers through an interdisciplinary approach. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v. 17, n. 3, p. 305–321, 3 May 2016b.
JACOBI, Pedro Roberto. Environmental education: the challenge of constructing a critical, complex and reflective thinking. Educação e Pesquisa, v. 31, n. 02, p. 233–250, 2005.
KARATEKIN, Kadir. Perception of environmental problem in elementary students’ mind maps. In: ODABASI, H. F. (org.). : Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences.3RD WORLD CONFERENCE ON LEARNING, TEACHING AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (WCLTA). 3rd World Conference on Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Bv, 2013.
KARPAN, Iryna et al. Conceptual Principles of Education for Sustainable Development. European Journal of Sustainable Development, v. 9, n. 2, p. 99–99, 1 Jun. 2020.
KAZAY, Daniel Firmo; BREDARIOL, Tomas de Oliveira. The Practice of Environmental Education in Mathematics Teaching. Remea-Revista Eletronica Do Mestrado Em Educacao Ambiental, v. 26, p. 225–242, Jun. 2011.
KIOUPI, Vasiliki; VOULVOULIS, Nikolaos. Education for Sustainable Development: A Systemic Framework for Connecting the SDGs to Educational Outcomes. Sustainability, v. 11, n. 21, p. 6104, Jan. 2019.
KLYMCHUK, Sergiy et al. Increasing engineering students’ awareness to environment through innovative teaching of mathematical modelling. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, v. 27, n. 3, p. 123–130, 1 Sep. 2008.
KREJCI, Sarah E. et al. Visual Literacy Intervention for Improving Undergraduate Student Critical Thinking of Global Sustainability Issues. Sustainability, v. 12, n. 23, p. 10209, Jan. 2020.
LEACH, Trenton D. Reforming Education: The Opening of the American Mind by Mortimer J. Adler. Principia: A Journal of Classical Education, v. 3, n. 1, p. 107–112, 2024.
LEE, Christine. Documenting Children’s Spatial Reasoning through Art: A Case Study on Play-Based STEAM Education. Sustainability, v. 15, n. 19, p. 14051, Oct. 2023.
LEWINSKI, Piotr. Education of the 21st century - Does the renaissance of the TQUrivium make sense? Res Rhetorica, v. 11, n. 4, 2024.
LEWIS, Anne C. A trunk load of books. Phi Delta Kappan, v. 89, n. 10, p. 707–708, 2008.
LIELL, Claudio Cristiano; BAYER, Arno. The Research-action on the continued formation in Environmental Education for Math teachers. Educar Em Revista, v. 35, n. 73, p. 229–250, Feb. 2019.
LOONSTRA, Thijs et al. The foundations and applications of teaching environmental problems: paradigms, learning domains, worldviews, and how they interact. Environmental Education Research, v. 31, n. 4, p. 701–717, 3 Apr. 2025.
MACIAS-BECERRA, Erika-Daniela; ORDONEZ-HERNANDEZ, Laura-Stephanie; FORERO-POVEDA, Alberto. Mathematization in Environmental Awareness Generation Processes: a Study on the Training of Mathematics Teachers. Revista Cientifica, v. 43, n. 1, p. 124–140, Apr. 2022.
MARTÍN-CUDERO, Daniel et al. Development of a Mathematical Experience from a STEM and Sustainable Development Approach for Primary Education Pre-Service Teachers. Education Sciences, v. 14, n. 5, p. 495, May 2024.
MOREIRA, Marco A. Mapas conceituais e diagramas V. Porto Alegre: Ed. do Autor, v. 103, 2006.
MOREIRA, Marco Antônio. Aprendizagem significativa: a teoria e textos complementares. [S.l.]: Lf Editorial, 2023.
NOVAK, Joseph D.; CANAS, Alberto J. A teoria subjacente aos mapas conceituais e como elabora-los e usa-los. Praxis Educativa, v. 5, n. 1, p. 9–29, 21 Jul. 2010.
NOVO, María Luisa; ENCINAS, Miriam; CUIDA, Astrid. Un acercamiento a la sostenibilidad desde la Educación Matemática Realista en un aula de Infantil. Edma 0-6: Educación Matemática en la Infancia, v. 9, n. 2, p. 37–50, 2020.
NUSSBAUM, Martha C. Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. [S.l.]: Princeton University Press, 2010.
OTSUKA, Keita et al. The Creation of Learning Scales for Environmental Education Based on Existing Conceptions of Learning. Sustainability, v. 10, n. 11, p. 4168, Nov. 2018.
PAIGE, Kathryn; LLOYD, David; CHARTRES, Mike. Moving towards transdisciplinarity: an ecological sustainable focus for science and mathematics pre-service education in the primary/middle years. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, v. 36, n. 1, p. 19–33, Feb. 2008.
PAPPAS, Marios A.; DRIGAS, Athanasios S.; POLYCHRONI, Fotini. An Eight-Layer Model for Mathematical Cognition. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), v. 13, n. 10, p. 69–82, 26 Oct. 2018.
PERRIN, Chris. Introduction to Classical Christian Education . [Sl] : Trinitas Publishing House, 2018.
PORTER, Jeffery. Formations of Secular Liberal Arts Education: A Critique of Martha Nussbaum’s Education for Democratic Citizenship. Journal of Church and State, v. 63, n. 4, p. 573–589, 1 Oct. 2021.
REFFHAUG, Marthe Berg Andresen; LYSGAARD, Jonas Andreasen. Conceptualisations of ‘critical thinking’ in environmental and sustainability education. Environmental Education Research, v. 30, n. 9, p. 1519–1534, 1 Sep. 2024.
RICHARDI, Jessica. What Is Classical Education? Using Curriculum Theory to Define A Classical Approach to K-12 Schooling. 2022.
SAUVÉ, Lucie. Educação Ambiental: possibilidades e limitações. Educação e pesquisaSciELO Brasil, , 2005.
SCHROEDER, Noah L. et al. Studying and Constructing Concept Maps: a Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, v. 30, n. 2, p. 431–455, 1 Jun. 2018.
SEVERO, Eliana Andréa; DE GUIMARÃES, Julio Cesar Ferro; DELLARMELIN, Mateus Luan. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on environmental awareness, sustainable consumption and social responsibility: Evidence from generations in Brazil and Portugal. Journal of Cleaner Production, v. 286, p. 124947, Mar. 2021.
SHULLA, K. et al. Sustainable development education in the context of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, v. 27, n. 5, p. 458–468, 3 Jul. 2020.
DA SILVA OLIVEIRA, Cleia Dalcul; DA SILVA JUNQUEIRA, Sonia Maria. Educação Matemática Crítica e Educação Ambiental: como as pesquisas brasileiras dialogam?. Perspectivas da Educação Matemática, v. 18, n. 51, p. 19-19, 2025.
SILVA, Rosana Louro Ferreira; GRANDISOLI, Edson; JACOBI, Pedro Roberto. The role of the Environmental Education in tackling the Climate Emergency and biodiversity decline: articulating Brazilian experiences. International Journal of Environmental Resilience Research and Science, v. 6, n. 2, p. 1–25, 20 Jun. 2024.
SONNY L R, Renuka. Need of the Environmental Education for Students in Global Scenario. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), v. 12, n. 4, p. 923–925, 5 Apr. 2023.
STAVE, Krystyna A.; KOPAINSKY, Birgit. A system dynamics approach for examining mechanisms and pathways of food supply vulnerability. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, v. 5, n. 3, p. 321–336, 1 Sep. 2015.
SUH, Heejoo; HAN, Sunyoung. Promoting Sustainability in University Classrooms Using a STEM Project with Mathematical Modeling. Sustainability, v. 11, n. 11, p. 3080, Jan. 2019.
TAFESE, Mestawot Beyene; KOPP, Erika. Embedding Social Sustainability in Education: A Thematic Review of Practices and Trends Across Educational Pathways from a Global Perspective. Sustainability, v. 17, n. 10, p. 4342, Jan. 2025.
TEIXEIRA, Antônio Zenon Antunes; ARRIEL, Wilma Freire. Critical analysis of educational theories and their pedagogical practices: the applicability and the impact in the school context. Caderno Pedagógico, v. 21, n. 10, p. e8768–e8768, 7 Oct. 2024.
TOGATOROP, Fresty Handayani et al. MEMANFAATKAN TEORI BELAJAR KOGNITIVISME UNTUK MEMPERKUAT PEMBELAJARAN DEEP LEARNING. Civic Society Research and Education: Jurnal Pendidikan Pancasila dan Kewarganegaraan, v. 6, n. 1, p. 44–61, 2 Aug. 2025.
TRÄFF, Ulf et al. Kindergarten domain-specific and domain-general cognitive precursors of hierarchical mathematical development: A longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, v. 112, n. 1, p. 93–109, 2020.
VAN RENSBURG, Gisela H.; BOTMA, Yvonne; ROETS, Lizeth. Educators’ ability to use concept mapping as a tool to facilitate meaningful learning. Contemporary Nurse, v. 59, n. 3, p. 238–248, 4 May 2023.
VASQUEZ, C.; PINEIRO, J. L.; GARCIA-ALONSO, I. What opportunities do mathematics curricula provide for sustainability education? In: BLANCO, T. F. et al. (orgs.). : Investigacion en Educacion Matematica.25TH SYMPOSIUM OF THE SPANISH-SOCIETY-FOR-RESEARCH-IN-MATHEMATICS-EDUCATION (SEIEM). Investigacion En Educacion Matematica Xxv. Granada: Soc Espanola Investigacion Educacion Matematica, 2022.
VÁSQUEZ, Claudia et al. Integrating sustainability in mathematics education and statistics education: A systematic review. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, v. 19, n. 11, p. em2357, 1 Nov. 2023.
WILSON, Jessica Hooten. The Lost Seeds of Learning: Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric as Life-Giving Art. Principia: A Journal of Classical Education, v. 2, n. 1, p. 117–122, 2023.
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Seção
Licença
Copyright (c) 2026 Rayka Araújo, Josana Peixoto, Liviam Santana Fontes, Hamilton Barbosa Napolitano

Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Esta revista oferece acesso livre imediato ao seu conteúdo, seguindo o princípio de que disponibilizar gratuitamente o conhecimento científico ao público proporciona maior democratização mundial do conhecimento.
A partir da publicação realizada na revista os autores possuem copyright e direitos de publicação de seus artigos sem restrições.
A Revista Fronteiras: Journal of Social, Technological and Environmental Science segue os preceitos legais da licença Creative Commons - Atribuição-NãoComercial 4.0 Internacional.
