THE CONTRIBUTION OF FIELD VISITS IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES EDUCATION AT UFRRJ

Abstract

This article analyzes the contribution of technical field visits, conducted every six months under the rural extension discipline, as part of the agricultural sciences professionals training at UFRRJ. The organization of visits with groups of students in family farmers communities in rural areas of Rio de Janeiro are intended to arise a greater interest on the topics addressed by the discipline and at the same time contribute to the development of a systemic perception of the multiple dimensions of the social reality in rural areas, as a result of an interdisciplinary dialogue practice. This teaching methodology was divided in three different moments. The first occurs in the classroom, through the presentation and discussion of some of the diagnostic methods used by the extension students of today. laThe second moment occurs in the field, when students are asked to make a detailed survey of information based on a previous script of questions and issue topics, in order to identify existing and potential problems in the places visited. The third and last moment occur in the classroom when teachers and students, together, discuss all aspects observed during the visit, aiming to prepare a written work and its presentation in a final class seminar. This method was inspired on the approach revealed by some authors linked to the Brazilian pedagogical theory named historical criticism.