Junior High School Students Environmental Literacy on Ecology and Biodiversity Materials Dhea Rizki Nur Fadhila, Febriani Sarwendah Asri Nugraheni*, Budi Utami
Department of Science Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Indonesia
*febrianisarwendahasri[at]staff.uns.ac.id
Abstract
The world faces critical environmental issues, including extreme climate change, rising pollution, and biodiversity loss, impacting ecosystem balance and human life quality, exacerbated by a lack of individual concern and mitigation efforts leading to varying levels of environmental literacy. This study aimed to profile the environmental literacy level of seventh-grade students concerning ecology and biodiversity topics and to identify its influencing factors. Employing a descriptive qualitative method, the research involved 32 students from SMP Negeri 1 Bantul that selected with purposive sampling. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, validated through technique triangulation. The data analysis techniques used in this research are data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusions. The results indicated that students^ environmental literacy was generally high in the cognitive skills, attitudes, and knowledge components, while the behavioral component remained moderate. Influencing factors included motivation, environmental awareness, education, government support, parental support, and reflective and critical thinking abilities. The study implies that while students have a good grasp of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, their pro-environmental behavior needs strengthening- thus, learning processes should focus not only on cognitive understanding but also on enhancing pro-environmental.
