Promoting Environmental Stewardship in Negros Occidental: Service Learning for Alangilan Farm School Teaching Force&ndash;Sharing Best Practices, Updates, and Benchmarking

Sunday Vince  Latergo,; Ryan Paulo  Miranda,; Danilo  Diaz,

Promoting Environmental Stewardship in Negros Occidental: Service Learning for Alangilan Farm School Teaching Force–Sharing Best Practices, Updates, and Benchmarking

Sunday Vince Latergo | Ryan Paulo Miranda | Danilo Diaz

Abstract:

The Alangilan Farm School (AFS) is one of the farm schools of Bacolod City that is deemed to benefit most from the service-learning approach as thoroughly discussed in this Campus Extension Project Paper. The project's objective was to gauge the current levels of environmental stewardship practices and knowledge of the teaching force at AFS in the Province of Negros Occidental for the School Year 2022-2023. Service-learning blends quantitative and qualitative methodologies using a mixed-methods approach. An initial survey, which explored the needs of the teacher-participants, evaluated their initial environmental stewardship knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to establish a baseline. The project's main components included sharing best practices, providing updates, and conducting benchmarking activities that focused on effective pedagogical approaches and modern developments in environmental education. Focus group discussions and post-project surveys were employed to assess the project's success. The results showed that participants' knowledge of environmental issues, pedagogical strategies, and resources for environmental stewardship instruction has significantly improved after undergoing the program topics and FGDs. These produced insightful suggestions and recommendations for integrating sustainability into a variety of learning disciplines. The project also helped teachers change their views on certain teaching strategies to instill among learners a sense of responsibility for environmental protection. The use of service learning at AFS exemplifies how it can enhance teachers' ability to foster environmental stewardship. The project provided teachers with more knowledge and helped develop the attitudes necessary for successfully integrating sustainable practices. These results are in line with the overarching objective of cultivating ecologically aware people in Bacolod City, in Negros Occidental, and beyond. Future studies may investigate how increasing the number of such projects can influence learners' views and behaviors over time regarding environmental protection.

References:

Bamberg, S., & Rees, J. (2020). Towards a cognitive framework of climate change driving behavior: A challenge for behavior change research. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 69, 101464.
Bennett, N. J., Whitty, T. S., Finkbeiner, E., Pittman, J., Bassett, H., Gelcich, S., & Allison, E. H. (2018). Environmental stewardship: a conceptual review and analytical framework. Environmental management, 61, 597-614.
Cockburn, J., Cundill, G., Shackleton, S., & Rouget, M. (2019). The meaning and practice of stewardship in South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 115(5-6), 1-13.
Corcoran, P. B. (2019). Social education for environmental responsibility. Routledge.
Dillon, J. (2021). Environmental education and the ecological crisis: Transformative curriculum and pedagogy. Routledge.
Hayes, K. N., Wheaton, M., & Tucker, D. (2019). Understanding teacher instructional change: The case of integrating NGSS and stewardship in professional development. Environmental Education Research, 25(1), 115-134.
Hoover, K. S. (2020). Pro-environmental behaviors in adolescents: An exploration of the Influence of childhood experiences in nature on the environmental stewardship of high school learners (Doctoral dissertation).
Hungerford, H. R., McNamee, D., & Volk, T. L. (2019). Teaching and learning for transformative sustainability: Learners’ experiences across schools, grades, and genders. The Journal of Environmental Education, 50(6), 394-405.
IPCC. (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press.
Jones, J. P., Monaco, K. A., & D’Antonio, M. A. (2021). Understanding and addressing teacher isolation: A review of current literature and directions for future research. Review of Educational Research, 91(2), 299-336.
Kesby, M., & Cooper, N. (2020). The state of environmental education in a changing climate. Environmental Education Research, 26(7-8), 1171-1179
Punzalan, C. H. (2020). Evaluating the environmental awareness and practices of senior high school learners: Basis for environmental education program. Aquademia, 4(1), ep20012.
Rockström, J., Gaffney, O., Rogelj, J., Meinshausen, M., Nakicenovic, N., & Schellnhuber, H. J. (2022). A roadmap for rapid decarbonization. Science, 382(6590), 290-292.
Schreiner, C., Aram, J. D., & Chryssolouris, G. (2020). Industry 4.0 and Sustainability Implications. In Industry 4.0 for SMEs: Challenges, Opportunities, and Requirements (pp. 71-88). Springer.
Sipos, Y., Battisti, B., & Grimm, K. (2020). Achieving transformative sustainability learning: Engaging Head, hands, and heart. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(1), 186-203.
Sterling, S. (2021). Sustainable education: Re-visioning learning and change. Routledge.
UNDP. (2020). Human Development Report 2020: The Next Frontier- Human Development and the Anthropocene. United Nations Development Project.
UNESCO. (2020). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
UNESCO. (2021). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Wals, A. E. J., Lotz-Sisitka, H., & Bourn, D. (Eds.). (2022). Transformative education for sustainability: Reimagining futures. Routledge.