Preparing Future Biology Teachers for Sustainability: The Role of Environmental Literacy in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
Abstract
Environmental challenges like ecosystem decline, loss of biodiversity, and pollution have emerged as urgent worldwide problems that jeopardize sustainability. In this context, environmental literacy is viewed as a crucial skill to promote awareness, responsibility, and eco-friendly behavior in people. In biology education programs, it is crucial for training future educators who can incorporate sustainability principles into educational practices. This research seeks to examine the degree of environmental literacy in biology education students and its role in achieving SDGs via a sustainable education framework. The research employs a mixed methods strategy featuring an exploratory descriptive framework. The study participants included 58 students from the Biology Education Study Program who were chosen intentionally. Data were gathered via questionnaires and interviews and examined with descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings show that students exhibit a strong degree of environmental literacy concerning knowledge, awareness, and attitudes regarding environmental conservation. Nonetheless, their eco-friendly behavior is not completely ideal, showing a disconnect between comprehension and actual behaviors. The results indicate that students possess a significant awareness of the need to protect wetland ecosystems and acknowledge education's role in fostering sustainability. The interview findings indicated that students recognized the significance of protecting wetland ecosystems in South Kalimantan and the contribution of education in enhancing public environmental awareness. These results emphasize the need to enhance environmental literacy in future biology teachers as a strategic initiative to promote sustainability-focused education and aid in reaching SDGs.
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