STEM-ESD Learning for Sustainability: Efforts to Improve Students' Self-Awareness Competencies in Organic Waste Management

Jenal Arifin; Suhendar Suhendar; Setiono Setiono

doi:10.61142/esj.v5i1.416

Authors

Jenal Arifin Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi
Suhendar Suhendar Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3332-2068
Setiono Setiono Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4002-6938

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61142/esj.v5i1.416

Keywords:

SDGs, Self-awareness, STEM-ESD

Abstract

Waste management is an important issue in Indonesia, and awareness and actions in all sectors, including students in schools. This study aims to examine the effect of the STEM-ESD model on students' self-awareness competency in the context of environmentally friendly organic waste management. This study used a quasiexperimental method with a non-equivalent control group design, applied to 48 seventh-grade students at a Madrasah Tsanawiyah school in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia, which were divided into an experimental group (n=24) who received STEM-ESD project-based learning through the manufacture of liquid organic fertilizer, and a control group (n=24) who received conventional learning. Self-awareness competency was measured using a 4-point Likert scale questionnaire that included four indicators: conceptual awareness, experiential awareness, awareness to engage, and awareness to adapt. Data analysis was carried out using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, Levene's homogeneity test, and the Mann-Whitney U Test (α = 0.05) through IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. The results showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.003). Analysis per indicator shows that awareness to adapt resulted in the highest increase (N-Gain = 0.38), while awareness to engage obtained the lowest but still positive increase (N-Gain = 0.29). These findings confirm that the STEM-ESD model is an effective, contextual, and sustainability-oriented pedagogical approach, in line with the Curriculum.

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