Integration of Local Wisdom in PBL-based Science Teaching Material to Improve Students' Environmental Literacy

Zetira Yunita Santi(1), Habiddin Habiddin(2), Erti Hamimi(3), Shinta Permata Sari(4),

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46843/jiecr.v7i4.2488


(1) Department of Science Education, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
(2) Department of Science Education, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
(3) Graduate School Student of the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
(4) Department of Science Education, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of PBL-based science teaching materials integrated with local wisdom (PBL-LW) on improving students' environmental literacy (EL). The sample consisted of male and female students from a public Islamic junior high school in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. The one-group pretest-posttest method was employed, utilizing the Middle School Environmental Literacy Survey (MSELS) as the instrument, which covers several aspects of environmental literacy, including knowledge, environmentally conscious attitudes, cognitive skills, and ecologically responsible behavior. The data were analyzed descriptively, and the t-test and the Wilcoxon test were used to assess differences in students' environmental literacy skills. Additionally, the N-Gain test measured the extent of improvement in students' EL. The findings indicate a significant difference in students' EL following PBL-LW science instruction. This is reinforced by the N-Gain results, demonstrating the effectiveness of these teaching materials in enhancing students' EL. This study suggests the need to promote EL in the education system from an early age. This will ensure a better environment in the future and avoid the risk of ecological damage.

Keywords

Sustainable Education; Green Environment Education; Middle School Environmental Literacy Survey; MSELS

Full Text:

PDF

References

Abdillah, R. R., Al-Muhdhar, M. H. I., & Biruni, I. B. (2021, March). Fostering students' problem solving skills and environmental literacy through PBL with natural environmental exploration approach. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2330, No. 1, p. 030009). AIP Publishing LLC. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0043190

Aiken, L. R. (1985). Three coefficients for analyzing the reliability and validity of ratings. Educational and psychological measurement, 45(1), 131-142. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164485451012

Amin, M. S., Permanasari, A., & Hamidah, I. (2020). Integrasi low carbon education dalam kurikulum pendidikan calon guru IPA di Indonesia sebagai upaya revitalisasi peran pendidikan IPA dalam merespons tantangan ekologis di masa depan. JIPI (Jurnal IPA Dan Pembelajaran IPA), 4(2), 231–243. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24815/jipi.v4i2.17965

Ashley, M., Pahl, S., Glegg, G., & Fletcher, S. (2019). A change of mind: Applying social and behavioral research methods to the assessment of the effectiveness of ocean literacy initiatives. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 288.

Breidenich, C., Magraw, D., Rowley, A., & Rubin, J. W. (1998). The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. American Journal of International Law, 92(2), 315–331. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.2307/2998044

Cincera, J., Roman, K., & Bogner, F. X. (2023). The perceived effect of environmental and sustainability education on environmental literacy of Czech teenagers. Environmental Education Research, 29(9), 1276–1293. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2107618

Fahlevi, A., Jumadi, J., Wilujeng, I., & Titisari, G. (2024). Fostering Environmental Literacy through Innovative Learning: Using PBL-based Science E-books Integrated with Local Potential of Rawa Bento. Journal of Innovative Physics Teaching, 2(1 SE-Articles), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.24036/jipt/vol2-iss1/40

Fiore, M., Lorini, C., Bonaccorsi, G., Paoli, S., Vaccaro, G., Verani, M., Federigi, I., Ferrante, M., & Carducci, A. (2024). Development and validation of the Environmental Health Literacy Index: a new tool to assess the environmental health literacy among university students. European Journal of Public Health, 34(5), 1001–1007. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckae120

Fošner, A. (2025). Sustainability literacy as a key to a better future: A look at higher education. Sustainability, 17(3), 987.

Gray, K. M. (2018). From content knowledge to community change: a review of representations of environmental health literacy. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(3), 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030466

Ha, C., Huang, G., Zhang, J., & Dong, S. (2022). Assessing ecological literacy and its application based on linguistic ecology: a case study of Guiyang City, China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(13), 18741–18754. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16753-7

Hanif, M. A., Nadeem, F., Bhatti, I. A., & Tauqeer, H. M. (2020). Environmental Disasters. In Environmental Chemistry: A Comprehensive Approach (pp. 469–478). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119651055.ch11

Hollweg, K. S., Taylor, J. R., Bybee, R. W., Marcinkowski, T. J., McBeth, W. C., & Zoido, P. (2011). Developing a framework for assessing environmental literacy. Washington, DC: North American Association for Environmental Education, 122.

Ikhsan, I., & Amri, A. (2024). Corruption and Environmental Damage: Evidence from Panel Data in ASEAN-6. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 14(1 SE-Articles), 447–451. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.15208

Ilhami, A., Riandi, R., & Sriyati, S. (2019, February). Implementation of science learning with local wisdom approach toward environmental literacy. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1157, No. 2, p. 022030). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1157/2/022030

Irvin, V. L., Rohlman, D., Vaughan, A., Amantia, R., Berlin, C., & Kile, M. L. (2019). Development and validation of an environmental health literacy assessment screening tool for domestic well owners: The water environmental literacy level scale (WELLS). International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(5), 881. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16050881

Jia, F., & Wang, W. (2024). City-level sustainable development impacts on environmental literacy: feelings toward nature, environmental knowledge, and pro-environmental behavior. Environmental Education Research, 30(8), 1263–1278. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2315573

Kaya, V. H., & Elster, D. (2019). A critical consideration of environmental literacy: Concepts, contexts, and competencies. Sustainability, 11(6), 1581. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061581

Kazazoglu, S. (2025). Environmental education through eco-literacy: Integrating sustainability into English language teaching. Sustainability, 17(5), 2156. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052156

Kelly, R., Evans, K., Alexander, K., Bettiol, S., Corney, S., Cullen-Knox, C., ... & Pecl, G. T. (2022). Connecting to the oceans: supporting ocean literacy and public engagement. Reviews in fish biology and fisheries, 32(1), 123-143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-020-09625-9

Keshavarzian, M., & Tabatabaienasab, Z. (2022). The Effects of Electricity Consumption on CO2 Emissions in Iran. Technology and Economics of Smart Grids and Sustainable Energy, 7(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40866-022-00140-3

Koço?lu, E., Egüz, ?., Tösten, R., Demi?, F. B., & Tekdal, D. (2023). Perception of ecological literacy in education: A scale development study. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 11(3), 3-9.

Lailia, A. N. (2025). Implementation of Problem-Based STAD Learning to Improve Students' Critical Thinking Skills on Ecosystems. STEM Education International, 1(2), 48-61. https://doi.org/10.71289/aqrr9653

Maurer, M., & Bogner, F. X. (2020). Modelling environmental literacy with environmental knowledge, values and (reported) behaviour. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 65, 100863. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100863

Maurya, P. K., Ali, S. A., Ahmad, A., Zhou, Q., Castro, J. D. S., Khan, E., & Ali, H. (2020). An introduction to environmental degradation: Causes, consequence and mitigation. Environmental degradation: Causes and remediation strategies, 1, 1-20.

McCarroll, M., & Hamann, H. (2020). What we know about water: A water literacy review. Water, 12(10), 2803. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102803

Molloy, O., Ashley, M., & McCrossan, C. (2021). A Framework for the assessment of the effectiveness of ocean literacy initiatives. In Ocean literacy: Understanding the ocean (pp. 41-64). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-70155-0_3

Örs, M. (2022). A measurement of the environmental literacy of nursing students for a sustainable environment. Sustainability, 14(17), 11003. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711003

Park, S. (2022). The politics of 21st century environmental disasters. Environmental Politics, 31(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2021.2024718

Ramulumo, M., & Shabalala, N. P. (2025). Comparing Environmental Literacy in Stem and Non-Stem Preschools: Evaluating the Impact on Young Children's Understanding and Attitudes. International Journal of Early Childhood, 57(2), 447-462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-024-00405-1

Saarna, R., & Laius, A. (2025). The sustainability literacy assessment instruments: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2025-0048

Stevenson, K. T., Peterson, M. N., Bondell, H. D., Mertig, A. G., & Moore, S. E. (2013). Environmental, Institutional, and Demographic Predictors of Environmental Literacy among Middle School Children. PLOS ONE, 8(3), e59519. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059519

Suhartatik, S., Sari, S. P., Maysara, M., & Qomaliyah, E. N. (2026). Interactive PowerPoint Based on Game-Based Learning on Environmental Pollution for Junior High School Students. STEM Education International, 2(1), 30-46. https://doi.org/10.71289/stem.v2i1.18

Sukri, A. (2023). Enculturation of Lombok coastal local wisdom in PBL as a conservation learning strategy to improve students' environmental literacy. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(8), 6733-6741. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i8.5744

Sulistiyani, L. M., Habiddin, H., Yahmin, Y., Tamara, R., & and Majid, S. (2025). Is immersing blended-problem-based learning fostering students' higher-order thinking skills? The Journal of Educational Research, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2025.2490016

Suryawati, E., Suzanti, F., Zulfarina, Z., Putriana, A. R., & Febrianti, L. (2020). The implementation of local environmental problem-based learning student worksheets to strengthen environmental literacy. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 9(2), 169-178.

Szczytko, R., Kathryn, S., M. Nils, P., John, N., & and Strnad, R. L. (2019). Development and validation of the environmental literacy instrument for adolescents. Environmental Education Research, 25(2), 193–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2018.1487035

Thorkelsdóttir, R. B., Jónsdóttir, J. G., Garefi, I., Korompoki, I. V., Serban, A., Bouros, M., & Soares, J. (2026). Strategies to Overcome the Challenges of Integrating Ocean Literacy into School Curricula. Sustainability, 18(3), 1374. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031374

Urstad, K. H., Andersen, M. H., Larsen, M. H., Borge, C. R., Helseth, S., & Wahl, A. K. (2022). Definitions and measurement of health literacy in health and medicine research: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 12(2), e056294. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056294

Wajdi, M., Jamaluddin, A. Bin, Nurdiyanti, N., & Maghfirah, N. (2022). The effectiveness of problem-based learning with environmental-based comic in enhancing students environmental literacy. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 11(3), 1049–1057. http://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v11i3.22140

Yu, J. H., Lin, H. H., Lo, Y. C., Tseng, K. C., & Hsu, C. H. (2021). Measures to cope with the impact of climate change and drought in the island region: A study of the water literacy awareness, attitude, and behavior of the Taiwanese public. Water, 13(13), 1799. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131799

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


View My Stats