Developing environmental awareness through experiential learning: A critical analysis of higher education students' practices

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series Vol. 1511; no. 1; pp. 12098 - 12104
• Main Authors: Widyastuti, Fatma, Probosari, Riezky Maya, Sajidan, Saputro, Sulistyo, Sutikno
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.04.2020
• Subjects: Best practice; Curricula; Education; Experiential learning; Higher education; Learning; Physics; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative research; Rasch model; Students; University students
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1511/1/012098

Today's higher education students recognize the importance of environmental issues, but the traditional learning curriculum is weak in opportunities for students to experience the link between the theory and practice of environmental sustainability. The aims of this study were given information about higher education students' awareness of the environment according to their experiences. Furthermore, implementing best practices in Experiential Learning. Environmental awareness is an attitude in seeing and managing the environment surrounding. It is about the way how students thinking and viewing about surrounding based on their own perspectives. Experiential Learning is referred to learning by doing, experiencing, discovering, and exploring. It is a philosophy and methodology where educators intentionally involve with students in direct experience and focused reflection to improve knowledge, develop skills, and clarify values. The method of this study was descriptive qualitative research and the data were analyzed by the Rasch model. The participants were 30 physics students of semester two in Environmental Science/Ilmu Pengetahuan Lingkungan (IPL) subject. The students conducted in practice through experiential learning to gain the data. The results of this study concluded that students' awareness of the environment was based on their existing and recent experiences.