Abstract
Mycology needs qualified professionals trained to work with fungi, according to the growing demand in various sectors. One way to train professionals in the area is through pre-service education in Biology. However, there is an academic underrepresentation regarding Mycology, thus compromising the availability of professionals in this field. With a questionnaire and categorical analysis of the responses, this study investigated and described the perceptions of Biology students, at three public universities in São Paulo state, about working in Mycology. The participants recognize and validate the presence of biologists in the field of Mycology and point out activities that go beyond the possibilities mentioned in official documents. However, the perception of the multidisciplinary nature of the area may reflect the superficial and nonspecific teaching of Mycology in these programs, since most participants did not take specific Mycology courses in their university curricula and revealed an anthropocentric view of fungi.
Keywords
Mycology teaching; Training of biologists; Professional biologists; Science teaching; Fungi