REFLECTIONS ON EDUCATION FOR DEATH IN THE SCHOOL CONTEXT: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Although it is universally inevitable, death is one of the most avoided topics in most cultures today and thus has become a forbidden subject and distanced from the nature with which it should be treated. Within this context, the school has a fundamental role in demystifying the subject and opening dialogue with students and teachers on the subject, promoting the integral development of human beings in formation. The initial idea of this work is to explore authors who debate the theme, seeking the historical part that precedes the common sense of mystifying the subject, arriving at results that reveal the current school scenario and its role in changing the reference. The initial research was carried out using an integrative literature review, using analysis of research and studies on the educational aspects of death and mourning and which allowed to identify the theme in scientific publications and specific literature in the last five years (2019-2023), as well as to analyze future trends in the educational field for this subject. For this purpose, the electronic databases Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Capes and Scielo Journals were used, using an integrated method with the following descriptors: child mourning, education for death, mourning at school, school and mourning, in English and Portuguese.  From the data collection, 347 articles were found, 21 of which were used to study this theme. However, it was observed that there are still few studies on the theme of education for death, especially in Brazil.