Environmental Sustainability Education Research Articles

The Paths of Ecological Civilization Construction under the Concept of Sustainable Environmental Education

Ecological civilization is a new stage of human civilization development after industrial civilization, and it is an inevitable choice to cope with the global ecological crisis and achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. With the deepening of China's ecological civilization construction, sustainable development education has gradually become an important means of cultivating public ecological awareness. This article first elaborates on the connotation of ecological civilization and its relationship with education, analyzes the current situation of ecological education in schools and society, and points out the existing problems. We must adhere to the integration of ecological civilization and sustainable development education, the integration of ecological civilization and educational governance, and develop education with the people as the center, building a path for the development of ecological civilization.

Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools

Sustainable environmental education (SEE) can develop global citizens. However, environmental education in schools does not develop environmental citizenship (EC). Virtual reality (VR) could provide authentic immersive experiences to evoke emotions for positive action for EC. A SEE module, designed to include VR experiences, was evaluated at a secondary school to determine if it could improve students’ EC. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test post-test design was conducted with 30 students, followed by focus group interviews with the students. The findings indicated the module was effective in improving EC scores. Analysis of interview transcripts indicated students were engaged and motivated to learn with VR and improved in EC competences. However, the future actions for EC were limited to individual actions and not community-based actions. Although there was some potential in the SEE module, some improvements are needed. Future studies could investigate strategies for making students agents of change in the community.

New Insights for Teaching the One Health Approach: Transformative Environmental Education for Sustainability

The One Health approach often reaches classrooms through Environmental Education (EE), which aims to guide society’s response to current crises (environmental, health, economic, values). However, traditional EE teaching has focused on isolated ecological concepts and standardised solutions, ignoring the multidimensional nature of EE and failing to integrate the interdependence between environmental, animal, and human health. Moreover, teacher training often neglects didactic content knowledge, preventing students from acquiring the systemic vision needed to address eco-social problems and create sustainable solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This limits teachers’ ability to influence students’ concerns and behaviours. In this context, this study aims to reflect on the current state of the issue and propose strategies informed by Science Education research to improve EE teaching, enabling the integration of One Health dimensions through effective didactics to achieve Transformative Environmental Education (TEE). For this purpose, we begin by addressing the limitations identified in recent systematic reviews, shifting the paradigm towards a symbiosis of EE and Science Education through scientific practices. We then present practical examples showcasing successful EE initiatives that foster a deeper understanding of socio-environmental issues, encourage innovative solutions, and nurture engaged citizens from early education onwards. These proposals can support classroom practice and ongoing teacher self-development. Pedagogical strategies include tackling issues that require systemic and critical thinking by developing scientific and epistemic practices while raising awareness of Environmental Justice. Thus, this study advocates for a new vision of EE, integrating the One Health approach, which could be applied to develop new educational programs, including teacher training. This would lead to a new learning evaluation model and help identify key determinants that trigger pro-environmental behaviours.

Hypercontent Media for Fostering Sociopreneurship in Vocational Education

This research explores the synergy between sustainable environmental education, sociopreneurship, and hypercontent media to support the SDGs and enhance 21st-century education. Focusing on vocational school students, it aims to design hypercontent-based learning media to promote sociopreneurship. The study uses qualitative methods with a case study approach, involving leaders, teachers, and students from five Vocational High Schools in Palembang. Data were collected through literature and field studies, including a media needs analysis via a questionnaire. The results indicate good school readiness for sustainable education programs, with an average score of 4.06. However, classroom implementation is low at 62.25%. Only 34% of students find current media effective, while 65% feel that traditional methods are insufficient. Therefore, 80% of students see the need for hypercontent-based learning media. Keywords: Sustainable Environmental Education, Hypercontent, Sociopreneurship, Sustainable Development Goals, Instructional Media

Krisis Biodiversitas Perairan: Investigasi Solusi Berbasis Komunitas untuk Pemulihan Ekosistem Aquatik

Crisis aquatic biodiversity is a critical environmental issue, triggered by human activities such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change, which have serious impacts on the stability of ecosystems and the climate change, which has serious impacts on the stability of ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities. livelihoods of coastal communities. This research aims to examine community-based solutions in restoring degraded aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on the integration of sustainable aquaculture technologies and aquaponic systems. The methodology used was a comprehensive literature analysis of scientific articles, journals and relevant publications. The research findings show that sustainable fisheries management, habitat restoration, environmental education and awareness, implementation of environmentally education and environmental awareness, the application of environmentally friendly technologies, and the development of supportive policies are the main strategies for sustainable fisheries management. development of supportive policies are key strategies in improve conservation effectiveness. The implications of this research show that a community-based approach is not only effective for the conservation of aquatic biodiversity, but also provides practical guidance for policymakers and non-governmental organizations in designing and implementing community-based policy makers and non-governmental organizations in designing and implementing more holistic and effective ecosystem restoration programs that are more holistic and sustainable.

Exploring ecocentrism and anthropocentrism beliefs of Gen Z: An Indonesian context

This study delved into ecological awareness among Generation Z using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale to discern ecocentric and anthropocentric environmental beliefs. The data was collected from 545 students across state and private universities with categorization based on gender, age group, year level, study program and area of residence employing a quantitative research approach. A five-point Likert-type NEP scale comprising 15 items was administered through Google Forms ensuring representation from each study program. Statistical analysis conducted using SPSS for Windows 23.0 employed independent sample T-tests to evaluate differences in Gen Z's ecological awareness. The results revealed significant disparities in Gen Z's awareness across dimensions including reality, growth limits, anti-anthropocentrism, the fragility of nature's balance and the possibility of an eco-crisis with variations observed based on study programs. Furthermore, age groups influenced awareness of the limits of growth and the possibility of an eco-crisis while gender played a role in awareness of the problem of the limits of growth. Gen Z's ecological orientations depicted differences in ecocentric beliefs by year level and anthropocentric values varied based on area of residence. These findings offer valuable insights into students' alignment with ecological principles and environmental awareness. This research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable practices and environmental education by enhancing our understanding of how individuals particularly university students, perceive and respond to ecological and environmental challenges.

Social responsibility among students of their education for environmental sustainability (case study: Al-Kharj Governorate, KSA)

A responsabilidade social é um aspecto vital da sustentabilidade econômica, ambiental e social que ajuda a melhorar a qualidade de vida na sociedade. O presente estudo foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar o nível de atitude ambiental e responsabilidade social em relação ao meio ambiente entre os alunos e seu treinamento para o desenvolvimento sustentável da Prince Satam Bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU) na província de Al-Kharj. Este estudo incluiu 408 alunos do sexo masculino e feminino da PSAU. Os pesquisadores usaram os critérios de sustentabilidade ambiental e responsabilidade social em relação ao meio ambiente. Usando uma abordagem analítica descritiva, especialmente o método de correlação preditiva, este estudo examinou o padrão de relações entre variáveis ​​e sua capacidade preditiva. Os resultados mostraram altos níveis de sustentabilidade ambiental e responsabilidade social em relação ao meio ambiente entre a amostra. Uma correlação positiva e estatisticamente significativa foi observada entre a atitude de sustentabilidade ambiental e responsabilidade social. Além disso, os resultados mostraram a capacidade de prever a responsabilidade social a partir de atitudes de sustentabilidade ambiental entre a amostra estudada. De acordo com os resultados, pode-se dizer que a educação dos alunos pode fornecer sua responsabilidade social pela proteção ambiental e desenvolvimento sustentável.

Reverse logistics associated with the objectives of sustainable development and environmental education

Reverse logistics associated with the objectives of sustainable development and environmental education

The Metaverse in Green Building Concept Learning, Creative Design Performance, and Learning Engagement

Due to the rapid advancement of technology, environmental sustainability education has gained significant attention. This study aimed to explore the effect of the metaverse on green building concept learning, creative design performance, and learning engagement. This research was conducted with 61 students from a public high school, employing a quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent groups. The experimental teaching theme was green building education, where the experimental group used online metaverse with Minecraft-assisted teaching, while the comparison group used internet images for assistance. Our research results were as follows: 1. The metaverse had a large effect size on the example dimension of concept learning but no significant effect on the linkages, hierarchical structures, or cross-linking terms. 2. The metaverse significantly enhanced creative design performance, including value, usability, novelty, and elaboration. 3. The metaverse had a significant effect on learning engagement, particularly in learning attitudes.

Environmental Sustainability Education in Twelve Series of Chinese University English Language Textbooks

Environmental issue is one of the public concerns pertaining to human welfare. English language education is supposed to take its part to contribute to the sustainable development. In this study, a corpus comprising 12 series of English language textbooks used in Chinese universities (48 volumes/books) was constructed to examine the extent to which the textbooks cover the content of environmental education, and how these topics are presented. The large volume dataset was explored by corpus linguistic tools and the in-depth discourse analysis and findings were reported and discussed within the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis. The results suggested that some key environmental semantic domains, such as “Green issues” (e.g., nature, environment, ecology), “Substances and materials” (e.g., pesticide, chemical, carbon dioxide), “Science and technology” (e.g., technologies, nuclear, biotechnology), “Farming & Horticulture” (e.g., farming, crop, agriculture), “Living creatures” (e.g., endangered species, animals, wildlife) were evident. Some topics within these domains such as sustainable environmentalism, energy efficiency and sufficiency were presented and discussed critically. The textbooks are expected to help learners develop knowledge, competencies and futuristic attitudes needed to meet the sustainability challenges in various contexts.

유아교사의 지속가능발전지향 환경교육 실행 방안 탐색

This study aims to explore how early childhood teachers implement sustainable development- oriented environmental education in kindergartens and childcare centers. Data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews with 10 early childhood teachers who had attended at least one environmental education training related to sustainable development and consistently practiced sustainable development-oriented environmental education in their classrooms for at least 10 months. The study’s findings revealed that the teachers engaged in meaningful interactions with the students to sensitize them to their responsibilities and roles in environmental issues by capturing their daily inconveniences and constraints and encourage improvement. They also attempted to implement environmental education following the principles of sustainable development by organizing the play environment and using eco-friendly materials. Moreover, they tried various teaching and learning materials and activities to keep children interested and engaged. Finally, the teachers worked with the children’s families and community members to create a practical and meaningful environment in which the children could learn about their responsibilities and roles in promoting sustainable development as citizens. The study’s findings, which examined implementation experiences from the perspective of early childhood teachers, are significant because they provide useful information for teacher support.

Environmental Consciousness of High School Teachers and Their Opinion about the Importance of Environmental Education for Sustainability: Differences on Sociodemographic Factors

Environmental Consciousness of High School Teachers and Their Opinion about the Importance of Environmental Education for Sustainability: Differences on Sociodemographic Factors

Pendampingan dan Edukasi tentang Komunikasi Efektif untuk Pelestarian Lingkungan dan Pemilahan Sampah kepada Anak

Household waste pollution remains a common problem. Various efforts have been made by government and non-governmental institutions to contribute to tackling household waste. Not only waste banks, but now many institutions offer services to accommodate recyclable or reusable waste. Environmental care campaigns are one effort to convey information or ideas about the importance of protecting and preserving the environment we live in, namely the earth. The mentoring method was carried out by providing and explaining materials, questions and answers (discussions) as well as providing examples regarding environmental sustainability education and waste management which was conducted on August 21, 2023 located at the Flamboyan RPTRA, Menteng Dalam Village, Tebet District, South Jakarta. The activity was held by the PKM team from Sahid University with 14 RPTRA residents and 2 people from the local village. The PKM team consisted of 3 lecturers and 5 students providing campaign materials and examples. The results of this activity are that online materials have been provided on effective communication for environmental campaigns and waste management by the Communication lecturers team from Sahid University. Furthermore, examples of how to convey campaigns were submitted by PKM students. At the end of the event the PKM team also asked participants about their impressions after participating in the mentoring. Good impressions were obtained that participants became more aware of effective ways to communicate with children regarding environmental conservation and waste sorting.

Waste Management Awareness Education for Elementary School Teachers and Students; the Implementation of Sustainable Environmental Education

In fact, awareness of waste management is still low in Nagari Tanjung Balik, Solok Regency. Based on initial observations, it is known that students at Nagari Tanjung Balik Elementary School do not yet have awareness of waste management. Furthermore, even though since 2022, Nagari Tanjung Balik has had a Waste Bank under the guidance of Universitas Negeri Padang Community Development Team, there has been no contribution from the total of five elementary schools in Nagari Tanjung Balik to the Waste Bank. This is of course not in line with the Nagari Tanjung Balik program which has attempted to intensify waste management in order to create a sustainable environment. Therefore, the solution offered is to provide education to elementary school students who are members of the KKG Cluster III Tanjung Balik Elementary School, X Koto Above District regarding waste management.

Quality education in the field of sustainability using a statistical analysis

AbstractThis paper discusses the importance of quality education in the field of sustainability. The paper highlights four different types of education related to sustainability, including environmental sustainability education, social sustainability education, education for sustainable development (SE), and green skills education. The statistical information on these types of education is summarized and presented in a table format. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for increased access to education in the field of sustainability to prevent environmental degradation and social problems and to prepare individuals for jobs that contribute to sustainable development.

Leveraging small island context to advance and disseminate environmental health and sustainable development knowledge through higher education

Higher education curricula can be designed to effectively leverage the context of small island states to enhance and deliver sustainable development and environmental health education, catering to workforce development, citizenry, and inclusivity. Small islands and developing states, in particular, are left behind in recognizing and promoting the linkages between environmentally sustainable development and the health of its people. This community case study highlights strategies of a Caribbean-based higher learning institution, leveraging the context of a small island state, to close this gap and create equitable access to integrated sustainable development and environmental health education. Tenets of Education for Sustainable Development theory underpin the pedagogical methodologies used in the delivery of the academic program. The curriculum draws on experiential learning, competency-based education, and diversity and inclusion, oriented to active student–student and student-practitioner engagements. Learning is facilitated through the effective dissemination of information, healthy interactions within a diverse community, professional engagements with multi-disciplinary practitioners, problem-solving, and formulation and presentation of perspectives and experiences relating to the Sustainable Development Agenda and Goals. Highly engaging and inclusive academic processes can accentuate students transitioning into the role of teachers, environmentally conscious leaders and citizens, and competent public health practitioners for the local and global workforces.

Development and Implementation of an Elementary School-Based Indigenous Knowledge Pedagogical Model on Native Tree Species for Environmental Sustainability Education in Ghana

Environmental education across countries is seen as the surest means of nurturing pro-environmental behaviours in children so that the conservation of biodiversity in the environment can be guaranteed. Unfortunately in Ghana, there is no indigenous-knowledge inspired pedagogical model that would aid elementary school teachers in carrying out such education. This convergent parallel mixed method study was aimed at developing, implementing and evaluating an indigenous knowledge inspired pedagogical model for native tree education among elementary school learners in Ghana. The indigenous-knowledge inspired pedagogical model was developed by the researchers under the expert guidance of some curriculum planners in Ghana with inputs from elementary school teachers and in tandem with the elementary school curriculum strand on environmental education. It was implemented in classroom and off-classroom contexts and finally evaluated for its potential in inciting elementary school learners in engaging in helpful native tree conservation activities. The quantitative results show high viability scores (100%) of the ESBIK pedagogical model’s capability of impacting significantly on the sustainability consciousness and competence of elementary school learners (Very Important-72.2%, Extremely Important-27.7%). On the other hand, the qualitative findings indicated the model’s capability of imparting knowledge on the essential roles that native tree species play in their lives and the broader benefits to ecosystem. Elementary school learners demonstrated care for native trees through tree planting, making of nurseries and gardens, and engaging in native tree conservation campaigns. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should adopt, improve and widely disseminate the pedagogical model. Future studies should consider using a larger sample size comprising elementary schools from several regions out of the sixteen (16) regions and engage in scholarly regional comparison of the results after the implementation of the ESBIK pedagogical model.

Promoting Sustainable Fish Consumption in Portuguese 4th-Grade Students

Consuming fish sustainably means consuming less and better, considering environmental, social, and economic impacts. This demands more knowledge to make informed decisions. In this study, the main goal was to understand how environmental sustainability education can be used as a tool to increase the knowledge and promote sustainable behaviour and consumption habits of 4th-grade students. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the use of two different learning methods, face-to-face and online learning, leading to two different groups of students, and we attempted to measure if the mode of implementing the activities affected the knowledge of the students. A sequential explanatory mixed methodology was applied with a pre-test/post-test design combined with focus group interviews. Between the pre- and post-tests, three activities modules were performed. The results showed that the students were unaware of many aspects related to sustainable fish consumption, but the developed activities significantly increased their knowledge of the subject and impacted students in terms of changing their consumption behaviours. It was also found that the construction of knowledge by the students after the activities was achieved either via face-to-face or online learning. Interviews from the focus group sessions showed that students got to know new fish species, learned about the concept of minimum landing size and closure season and that fish are labelled like other types of food.

A Review of Immersive Technologies, Knowledge Representation, and AI for Human-Centered Digital Experiences

The evolution of digital technologies has resulted in the emergence of diverse interaction technologies. In this paper, we conducted a review of seven domains under a human-centric approach user interface design, human-centered web-based information systems, semantic knowledge representation, X-reality applications, human motion and 3D digitization, serious games, and AI. In this review, we studied these domains concerning their impact on the way we interact with digital interfaces, process information, and engage in immersive experiences. As such, we highlighted the shifts in design paradigms, user-centered principles, and the rise of web-based information systems. The results of such shifts are materialized in modern immersive technologies, semantic knowledge representation, serious games, and the facilitation of artificial intelligence for interactions. Through this exploration, we aimed to assist our understanding of the challenges that lie ahead. The seamless integration of technologies, ethical considerations, accessibility, education for technological literacy, interoperability, user trust, environmental sustainability, and regulatory frameworks are becoming significant. These challenges present opportunities for the future to enrich human experiences while addressing societal needs. This paper lays the groundwork for thoughtful and innovative approaches to the challenges that will define the future of human–computer interaction and information technologies.

Juridical Analysis of Marine Pollution Prevention Control in the Barelang Coastal Community Area by the Batam City Government

This research aims to determine the control of preventing marine pollution in the Barelang Coastal Community Area. This research uses a qualitative type of research. The research method is empirical normative research, namely examining the factual implementation or implementation of positive legal provisions and contracts in each specific legal event, so this research requires primary data and secondary data. Data sources were obtained from primary, secondary and tertiary legal materials. The results of this research are that legal regulations related to the control of preventing marine pollution in the Bareleng coastal area have not been effective and have not been running well because of Law Number 27 of 2007 concerning Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands and Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Protection and Environmental Management applies administrative sanctions to business actors. The obstacle to controlling marine pollution prevention in the Barelang Coastal area is the behavior of people who still throw rubbish carelessly. Even though this is very clearly stated in Batam City Regional Regulation number 11 of 2013 article 64, there are no administrative sanctions applied to individuals or local communities. Solution Carrying out targeted and sustainable environmental education and awareness campaigns. Build cooperation with NGOs and environmental organizations to increase public awareness and revise or update inadequate environmental regulations to ensure the effectiveness of controlling marine pollution.