Bees and pollination: an analysis of textbooks

Abstract

Bees are responsible for most of the biotic pollination carried out in plants, playing a fundamental role in food production and the perpetuation of some plant species. Given the relevance of this topic, this study sought to examine how textbooks approved by the National Textbook Program (PNLD) address this content. This qualitative study analyzed seven different textbooks. The criteria used to analyze the books included the number of mentions of the terms “bees” and “pollination,” the reflection of the texts' content, the quality of the images, the proposed learning assessments, and the language used. It was found that most textbooks attribute the pollination process to bees, use appropriate language, include images and diagrams that aid understanding of the process, and propose various learning assessment activities, albeit at varying levels of depth.