Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools

Tan Wai Ying; Norlidah Alias; Dorothy DeWitt

doi:10.29333/ejmste/15177

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Tan Wai Ying ¹ , Norlidah Alias ¹ , Dorothy DeWitt ¹ ^*

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¹ Department of Curriculum & Instructional Technology, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Sustainable environmental education (SEE) can develop global citizens. However, environmental education in schools does not develop environmental citizenship (EC). Virtual reality (VR) could provide authentic immersive experiences to evoke emotions for positive action for EC. A SEE module, designed to include VR experiences, was evaluated at a secondary school to determine if it could improve students’ EC. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test post-test design was conducted with 30 students, followed by focus group interviews with the students. The findings indicated the module was effective in improving EC scores. Analysis of interview transcripts indicated students were engaged and motivated to learn with VR and improved in EC competences. However, the future actions for EC were limited to individual actions and not community-based actions. Although there was some potential in the SEE module, some improvements are needed. Future studies could investigate strategies for making students agents of change in the community.

Keywords

sustainable environmental education
environmental education
environmental citizenship
secondary school science

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 20, Issue 10, October 2024, Article No: em2511

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177

Publication date: 01 Oct 2024

Online publication date: 19 Sep 2024

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APA

Wai Ying, T., Alias, N., & DeWitt, D. (2024). Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(10), em2511. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177

Vancouver

Wai Ying T, Alias N, DeWitt D. Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2024;20(10):em2511. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177

AMA

Wai Ying T, Alias N, DeWitt D. Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2024;20(10), em2511. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177

Chicago

Wai Ying, Tan, Norlidah Alias, and Dorothy DeWitt. "Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2024 20 no. 10 (2024): em2511. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177

Harvard

Wai Ying, T., Alias, N., and DeWitt, D. (2024). Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(10), em2511. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177

MLA

Wai Ying, Tan et al. "Sustainable environmental education using virtual reality: A module for improving environmental citizenship competences in secondary schools". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 20, no. 10, 2024, em2511. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15177