Transforming Sustainability Development Education in Malaysian Schools through Greening Activities

Year 2015, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 77 - 94, 30.04.2015

Mahat Hanıfah İdrus Shaharudın Hashim Mohmadısa Nayan Nasır , Saleh Yazıd

Abstract

 This article aims to evaluate the practice of
sustainability among Malaysian Secondary Schools involved in the Sustainable
Schools Program Environmental Award (SLAAS). The research attempts to identify
the SLAAS effects on teachers’ and students’ behaviors after direct involvement
with the activities of the program. The cluster sampling technique was used in
selecting the school samples and the respondents were then also selected
through simple random sampling among upper secondary pupils. A questionnaire
survey was administered for 247 teachers and 447 pupils, to evaluate the after
effects of the SLAAS. Document analysis was employed to identify the greening
activities that were carried out in the schools involved. The results showed
that the schools’ involvement in SLAAS had some transformative effect on the
schools especially on greening activities and also on sustainable behavior
within the school compound. Based on the correlation analysis, it showed that
there was a significant correlation between the knowledge about SLAAS program
and the behavior of the teachers and similarly, it was also found that the
significant correlation between the knowledge of the SLAAS and the behavior of
the pupils post SLAAS. Hence SLAAS must be continuously deployed in school
outdoor activities on greening efforts to educate pupils to sustain
environmental quality. It is suggested that teachers should play the role model
of sustainability, not only for the pupils but also for the public.

Keywords

education for sustainable development, program of sustainable schools, greening activities, behavioral changes, sustainable activities

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