Reinventing Ecopedagogy and Its Implication on Enhancing Climate Action in Indonesian Adiwiyata School

Abstract

Aims: Addressing climate change requires collective action and stakeholder collaboration to protect, restore, and sustain ecosystems and natural resources. Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Action emphasizes enhancing education, awareness, and participation in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study investigates the role of ecopedagogy in activating students’ climate action in Adiwiyata schools, a government-led initiative that promotes sustainability-based curricula in schools. It examines how this program influences students' climate-related knowledge, understanding, and behaviors and identifies barriers that hinder their active participation. Study Design:  This research employs a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative insights from interviews to provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ climate engagement. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Adiwiyata schools located in Semarang and Magelang, Indonesia, over 12 months, from March 2024 to February 2025. Methodology: A survey of 362 students (aged 14–15; 40.88% male, 59.12% female) from 4 Adiwiyata schools assessed climate knowledge, awareness, and sustainable practices. In-depth interviews were conducted with 4 school task forces, 5–7 teachers per school, and environmental agency officials to explore institutional factors. Results: Students demonstrate relatively low to moderate knowledge of climate change, with mean scores ranging from 2.23 to 2.78. Their understanding remains low to moderate, and their participation in mitigation and adaptation actions is also relatively low. The regression analysis reveals a significant correlation between students' climate knowledge and their climate-friendly behaviors (R² = 0.476, p < 0.001). However, a substantial gap exists between knowledge and action, indicating that awareness does not necessarily translate into concrete environmental practices. Moreover, institutional barriers further hinder the effectiveness of sustainability education in Adiwiyata schools. These include the limited integration of environmental education into formal curricula, teachers' insufficient expertise in environmental education, and weak evaluation mechanisms. Without addressing these structural challenges, the program’s impact remains constrained. Conclusion: These findings underscore the need for a systematic integration of sustainability education into formal curricula to address the gap between students' climate knowledge and their actions. Enhancing teacher expertise in environmental education and establishing rigorous assessment frameworks are essential to overcoming institutional barriers and improving Adiwiyata program's effectiveness.