Environmental Literacy Integration in Science curriculum
- 1. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Faculty of Education University of Colombo 11/28/2024 1 Assessing Environmental Literacy Integration and Student Proficiency in Grade 9 Science Curriculum V. Agalya National Institute of Education
- 2. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Introduction/Overview 11/28/2024 2 ▪ Sri Lanka, focusing much on sustainable development by preserving its biodiversity and creating a clean residential environment. ▪ Grimmette (2014) highlights that developing Environmental Literacy among citizens is paramount to conserving nature. ▪ In 2017, Environmental Education Act of China, which mentioned that Environmental Education is a discipline that enhances environmental awareness, environmental ethics, and national responsibility. ▪ Environmental Literacy entails not only having knowledge but also being responsive and able to provide solutions to environmental problems (Kusumaningrum et al., 2018, cited by Nugraha et al., 2022). ▪ Agalya & Vinoharan (2024) identified 6 major skills of EL such as Ecological Knowledge, Issue Identification and Analysis, Action Planning, Verbal and Actual Commitment, Environmental Sensitivity and Feeling and Problem-Solving and Prediction.
- 3. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Research Questions & main objectives 1. Identify the level of EL in the grade 9 science learning outcomes. 2. Identify the level of EL in the grade 9 science content. 3. Measure the EL skills among grade 9 science students. 11/28/2024 3 What is the level of environmental literacy (EL) reflected in the Grade 9 science learning outcomes, content, and students' skills?
- 4. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Literature Review (Briefly) 11/28/2024 4 Students Research Gap Text book Teaching - Learning Curriculum Syllabi Teachers Assessme nt Agalya & Vinoharan, 2024 Secondary Syllabi Agalya & Vinoharan, 2024 Grade 6 textbook Janaka et al, 2023 G. C. E. A. L. Weerasinghe,2022
- 5. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Methodology 11/28/2024 5
- 6. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 6 Steps followed in the content analysis
- 7. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 7 Ecological knowledge Issue Identification and Analysis Action Planning Verbal and Actual Commitment Environmenta l Sensitivity and Feeling Problem-solving & Prediction Components of ecosystem Recognize environmental problems Develop strategies to address environmental issues Commitment to supporting the environment Emotional connection with the environment Employ critical thinking skills to solve environmental problems Dynamics of ecosystem Understanding the causal factors Promoting sustainability Action to protect the environment Sensitivity on environment Predict potential outcomes of human behaviour Interaction within the ecosystem Proactive measures Behaviours towards the protection of the environment Major themes and units of Environmental Literacy Skill
- 8. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 8 Environmental Literacy skill Parts of MSELS Item Number N Item Score Ecological knowledge Part II: Ecological Foundations 5-9 5 20 Issue Identification and Analysis Part VII A: Issue Identification Part VII B: Issue Analysis 10-14 5 20 Action Planning Part VII C: Action Planning 15-19 5 20 Verbal and Actual Commitment Part III: How You Think About the Environment 20-24 5 20 Environmental Sensitivity and feeling Part V: You and Environmental Sensitivity Part VI: How You Feel About the Environment 25-29 5 20 Problem-Solving and Prediction Part IV: What You do About the Environment 30-34 5 20 Structure of Data collection instrument
- 9. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Analysis 11/28/2024 9 43% 11% 28% 5% 9% 4% Ecological knowledge Environmental sensitivity & feeling Issue identification & analysis Problem solving & prediction Verbal & actual commitment Action planning Environmental Literacy Skill incorporated into the Grade 9 Science syllabi
- 10. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 10 ➢ Grade 9 syllabi consist of a total of 208 learning outcomes, with 54 of them focusing on environmental literacy skills. ➢ This represents 25% of the total learning outcomes. ➢ Among these, 43% of the learning outcomes deal with ecological knowledge, issue identification and analysis, environmental sensitivity and feeling, verbal and actual commitment, problem solving and prediction and Action planning with percentages of 28%, 11%, 9%, 6% and 4% respectively. Discussion
- 11. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 11 1. Ecological knowledge • components of ecosystems, including microorganisms and their biological features • origin of Earth and life • evolution of organisms • interactions within the ecosystem, such as between living and non-living elements 2. Issue identification and analysis • threats to biodiversity • man-made environmental problems • adverse effects of nanotechnology, and natural disasters like cyclones, earthquakes, and tsunami. • delves into causal factors, highlighting human activities leading to biodiversity loss, synthesized chemicals' detrimental effects, and human-induced causes of earthquakes. 3. Action planning • including conservation measures like in-situ conservation and sustainable development practices • Promoting sustainability is emphasized through green concepts and sustainable resource use • Proactive measures are encouraged, such as adopting environmentally favorable agronomic practices and reducing carbon footprints and food miles Textbook analysis
- 12. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 12 4. Verbal and Actual Commitment • emphasizing active engagement, critical thinking, and the preservation of biodiversity in environmental conservation efforts. • However, these commitments are presented primarily as theoretical facts and may not be designed to effectively develop commitment among students. 5. Environmental Sensitivity and Feeling • emphasizing the importance of ecological balance and the rights of animals and plants that aim to instill empathy and a sense of responsibility towards the natural world. • encourages sensitivity to environmental issues, including biodiversity, and highlights the global importance of processes like photosynthesis. 6. Problem-Solving and Prediction • certain theoretical approaches to environmental problem-solving • it touches upon the future implications of environmental issues to some extent • there is a need for greater emphasis on predicting future environmental challenges and incorporating practical problem-solving activities.
- 13. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 13 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Ecological Knowledge Issue Identification and Analysis Action Planning Verbal and Actual Commitment Environmental Sensitivity and Feeling Problem-Solving and Prediction Ecological Knowledge Issue Identification and Analysis Action Planning Verbal and Actual Commitment Environmental Sensitivity and Feeling Problem-Solving and Prediction Scores 68 59 38 38 25 15 EL Scores of Grade 9 Students %
- 14. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Conclusion 11/28/2024 14 • The Grade 9 learning outcomes does not prioritize Environmental Literacy (EL) skills, with only 25% of the learning outcomes related to EL skills. • There is room to accommodate EL skills across all competencies, but they are not included in Competencies 2 and 3. • Although the curriculum incorporates all EL skills in the content area, it prioritizes ecological knowledge and issue identification and analysis. • The students' average EL level is also not satisfactory, at 41%. • Since the curriculum prioritizes ecological knowledge and issue identification and analysis, students scored comparatively higher in these areas.
- 15. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 Recommendations 11/28/2024 15 • Integrate EL Skills Across All Competencies • Promote Underrepresented EL Skills • Increase the Proportion of EL Learning Outcomes • Develop Teacher Training Programs • Implement Continuous and Practical Assessments
- 16. 4th International Research Symposium 2024 11/28/2024 16 References Agalya, V. & Vinoharan, V. (2024). Assessing Environmental Literacy in Sri Lankan Junior Secondary Science Syllabi: A Quantitative Content Analysis. SLAAED. Environmental Education Act, LEX-FAOC173904 (2017). http://epa.gov.tw/ Grimmette, K. A. (2014). The impacts of environmental education on youth and their environmental awareness (Undergraduate thesis). University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nugraha, L., Saud, U. S., Hartati, T., & Damaianti, V. S. (2022). Profile of learning environmental literacy in elementary school. PrimaryEdu: Journal of Primary Education, 6(2), 211–222. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. (2021). In Encyclopedia of sustainable management (pp. 1– 5). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02006-4_1