Environmental conservation in biology learning: An effort to increase students' awareness of environmental issues
Main Article Content
Nofamataro Zebua
Yan Piter Basman Ziraluo
Ester Novi Kurnia Zebua
Environmental degradation in Indonesia, including deforestation, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss, poses serious threats to ecosystems and human well-being. Integrating environmental conservation into biology learning is crucial to fostering students' awareness and responsible behavior toward environmental issues. This study employs a qualitative approach through literature review and curriculum analysis to examine the integration of conservation themes in biology education. Findings suggest that project-based and contextual learning effectively enhance students' understanding and engagement with real environmental challenges. The use of digital tools further supports interactive learning experiences, promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. However, challenges such as limited resources and insufficient teacher training hinder effective implementation. Strengthening teacher capacity, improving curriculum design, and fostering collaboration among schools, government, and environmental organizations are essential to enhancing environmental education. This study underscores the potential of biology learning as a transformative tool in shaping a generation that is not only academically proficient but also environmentally conscious and proactive in sustainability efforts.
Ardiansyah, A. I., Putra, A. K., & Nikitina, N. (2024). Investigating problem-based learning model’s impact on student’s critical thinking skills in environmental conservation context. Jambura Geo Education Journal, 5(2), 87-103. https://doi.org/10.37905/jgej.v5i2.26110
Ardoin, N. M., & Heimlich, J. E. (2021). Environmental learning in everyday life: foundations of meaning and a context for change. Environmental Education Research, 27(12), 1681-1699. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1992354
Arifin, Z., Falahudin, D., Saito, H., Mintarsih, T. H., Hafizt, M., & Suteja, Y. (2023). Indonesian policy and researches toward 70% reduction of marine plastic pollution by 2025. Marine Policy, 155, 105692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105692
Bibi, S., Nousheen, A., & Siddiquah, A. (2025). Effect of an environmental education course on prospective teachers’ pro-environmental behavior: a study in education for sustainable development perspective. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2023-0422
Budiman, A., Samani, M., & Setyawan, W. H. (2021). The Development of Direct-Contextual Learning: A New Model on Higher Education. International Journal of Higher Education, 10(2), 15-26. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v10n2p15
Chusni, M. M., Saputro, S., & Rahardjo, S. B. (2021). Student's Critical Thinking Skills through Discovery Learning Model Using E-Learning on Environmental Change Subject Matter. European Journal of Educational Research, 10(3), 1123-1135. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.10.3.1123
Cochard, R. (2017). Scaling the costs of natural ecosystem degradation and biodiversity losses in Aceh Province, Sumatra. Redefining Diversity & Dynamics of Natural Resources Management in Asia, Volume 1, 231-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-805454-3.00013-X
Dede, C. (2010). Technological Supports for Acquiring Twenty-First-Century Skills. International encyclopedia of education, 3, 158-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00739-9
Dillon, J., & Herman, B. (2023). Environmental education. In Handbook of research on science education (pp. 717-748). Routledge.
Gates, A. (2023). Polluted Earth: The Science of the Earth's Environment. John Wiley & Sons.
Gaveau, D. L., Santos, L., Locatelli, B., Salim, M. A., Husnayaen, H., Meijaard, E., Heatubun, C., & Sheil, D. (2021). Forest loss in Indonesian New Guinea (2001–2019): Trends, drivers and outlook. Biological Conservation, 261, 109225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109225
Guetterman, T. C., Fetters, M. D., & Creswell, J. W. (2015). Integrating quantitative and qualitative results in health science mixed methods research through joint displays. The Annals of Family Medicine, 13(6), 554-561. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1865
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Qadri, M. A., & Suman, R. (2022). Understanding the role of digital technologies in education: A review. Sustainable operations and computers, 3, 275-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004
Heleri, H., & Ismanto, B. (2021). The evaluation of adiwiyata-school program. Mimbar Ilmu, 26(3), 483-490. https://doi.org/10.23887/mi.v26i3.41537
Helliwell, J. F. (2020). World Happiness Report 2020.
Henderson, K., & Loreau, M. (2023). A model of Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and opportunities in promoting human well-being and environmental sustainability. Ecological Modelling, 475, 110164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110164
Herman, B. C., Newton, M. H., & Zeidler, D. L. (2021). Impact of place‐based socioscientific issues instruction on students' contextualization of socioscientific orientations. Science Education, 105(4), 585-627. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21618
Hoffmann, S. (2022). Challenges and opportunities of area-based conservation in reaching biodiversity and sustainability goals. Biodiversity and Conservation, 31(2), 325-352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-021-02340-2
Kaur, R., & Pandey, P. (2021). Air pollution, climate change, and human health in Indian cities: a brief review. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 3, 705131. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2021.705131
Lubis, M. I. (2023). Cascading impacts of deforestation to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra. https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/172523
Mallarach, J. M., & Verschuuren, B. (2019). Changing concepts and values in natural heritage conservation: A view through IUCN and UNESCO policies. Values in Heritage Management: Emerging approaches and research directions, 141-157.
Mergendoller, J. R., & Thomas, J. W. (2005). Managing project-based learning: Principles from the field.
Neo, E. R. K., Soo, G. C. Y., Tan, D. Z. L., Cady, K., Tong, K. T., & Low, J. S. C. (2021). Life cycle assessment of plastic waste end-of-life for India and Indonesia. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 174, 105774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105774
Oguh, C. E., Obiwulu, E. N. O., Umezinwa, O. J., Ameh, S. E., Ugwu, C. V., & Sheshi, I. M. (2021). Ecosystem and ecological services; need for biodiversity conservation-a critical review. Asian Journal of Biology, 11(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajob/2021/v11i430146
Ohashi, M., Kameda, A., Kozan, O., Kawasaki, M., Iriana, W., Tonokura, K., Naito, D., & Ueda, K. (2021). Correlation of publication frequency of newspaper articles with environment and public health issues in fire-prone peatland regions of Riau in Sumatra, Indonesia. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00994-5
Okorondu, J., Umar, N. A., Ulor, C. O., Onwuagba, C. G., Diagi, B. E., Ajiere, S. I., & Nwaogu, C. (2022). Anthropogenic Activities as Primary Drivers of Environmental Pollution and Loss of Biodiversity: A Review.
Owens, A. D., & Hite, R. L. (2022). Enhancing student communication competencies in STEM using virtual global collaboration project-based learning. Research in Science & Technological Education, 40(1), 76-102. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2020.1778663
Parry, S., & Metzger, E. (2023). Barriers to learning for sustainability: a teacher perspective. Sustainable Earth Reviews, 6(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-022-00050-3
Reid, A., Dillon, J., Ardoin, N., & Ferreira, J. A. (2021). Scientists’ warnings and the need to reimagine, recreate, and restore environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 27(6), 783-795. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1937577
Saleem, A., Kausar, H., & Deeba, F. (2021). Social constructivism: A new paradigm in teaching and learning environment. Perennial journal of history, 2(2), 403-421. https://doi.org/10.52700/pjh.v2i2.86
Strang, K., & Rusli, N. (2021). The challenges of conserving biodiversity: A spotlight on Southeast Asia. In Wildlife Biodiversity Conservation: Multidisciplinary and Forensic Approaches (pp. 47-66). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64682-0_3
Suárez-Perales, I., Valero-Gil, J., Leyva-de la Hiz, D. I., Rivera-Torres, P., & Garcés-Ayerbe, C. (2021). Educating for the future: How higher education in environmental management affects pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production, 321, 128972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128972
Sukumaran, K. (2022). Impact of Human Activities Inducing and Triggering of Natural Disasters. In A System Engineering Approach to Disaster Resilience: Select Proceedings of VCDRR 2021 (pp. 17-31). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-7397-9_2
Supriatna, J. (2022). E. FAMILY POGIDAE (Gray, 1870). In Field Guide to the Primates of Indonesia (pp. 185-201). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83206-3_8
Tariq, M. U. (2024). Enhancing students and learning achievement as 21st-century skills through transdisciplinary approaches. In Transdisciplinary Approaches to Learning Outcomes in Higher Education (pp. 220-257). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3699-1.ch007
Uralovich, K. S., Toshmamatovich, T. U., Kubayevich, K. F., Sapaev, I. B., Saylaubaevna, S. S., Beknazarova, Z. F., & Khurramov, A. (2023). A primary factor in sustainable development and environmental sustainability is environmental education. Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21(4), 965-975. https://doi.org/10.22124/cjes.2023. 7155
Wigand, M. E., Timmermann, C., Scherp, A., Becker, T., & Steger, F. (2022). Climate change, pollution, deforestation, and mental health: Research trends, gaps, and ethical considerations. GeoHealth, 6(11), e2022GH000632. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GH0 00632
Yadav, S. K., Banerjee, A., Jhariya, M. K., Meena, R. S., Raj, A., Khan, N., Kumar, S., & Sheoran, S. (2022). Environmental education for sustainable development. In Natural Resources Conservation and Advances for Sustainability (pp. 415-431). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822976-7.00010-7
Yahman, Y., & Setyagama, A. (2023). Government policy in regulating the environment for development of sustainable environment in Indonesia. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(11), 12829-12840. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02591-1
Zaliyanti, A. M., & Azani, M. Z. (2024). Implementation of The Adiwiyata Program by The Principal to Foster Students’ Morals towards The Environment. JIE (Journal of Islamic Education), 9(1), 359-383. https://doi.org/10.52615/jie.v9i1.391
Zhang, Y., Du, Q., Huang, Y., Mao, Y., & Jiao, L. (2024). Decoding determinants of pro-environmental behaviors of higher education students: insights for sustainable future. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2024-0166