A Comparison between Integrated and Separated - Environmental Education Subject at Elementary School
Jakarta State University, Indonesia
ABSTRACT
Schools play an important role in the formation of positive attitudes towards the environment in students. Environmentally-based schools are selected by the Indonesian government and designated as Adiwiyata schools. Environmental education in Indonesia can be taught either integrally or separately from other subjects. In this paper, we analyse some possible reasons that influence the environmental knowledge, perceptions, and behavior of students in elementary schools. The differences in learning aapproaaches of environmental education (integrated and separated – subject) was considered. This comparative study was conducted in April 2017. The sample in this study were students in grades 4 -6 from two independent Adiwiyata schools in Jakarta. We explored the extent to which learning approaches used in environmental education had an effect on the formation of environmental knowledge, perceptions, and behavior in students. The similarities and differences among these two schools were highlighted. Results showed that students in schools which applied the integrated approach seem to have higher environmental knowledge than schools that applied the separated approach. Students in schools which applied the integrated approach seem to have almost the same perceptions with schools that applied the separated subject approach, and students in schools which applied integrated approach seem to have better pro-environmental behaviors than schools that applied the separated approach. Teachers play an important role in building environmental knowledge, perception, and behavior of students. More efforts are needed to support environmental education with integrated approach in elementary schools.
KEYWORDS
Environmental education, integrated subject, separated subject, adiwiyata school