Enacting Islamic Ecological Values across Science Curriculum, Pedagogy, and School Culture in an Integrated Islamic Elementary School
Main Article Content
Abstract
Environmental education in elementary schools requires approaches that connect scientific understanding with ethical responsibility. Yet how Islamic ecological values are enacted across science learning and school culture remains insufficiently documented. This study aims to examine how these values are articulated through the curriculum, enacted through pedagogy, and reinforced by school culture at SDIT at Taqwa, an integrated Islamic elementary school in Bekasi, Indonesia. The study employed a qualitative case study design involving observations of three Grade V science lessons, interviews with school staff, questionnaires completed by 60 pupils in Grades IV and V, and school documents. Data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. The findings revealed three interconnected dimensions: ecological values embedded in science objectives and Qur’anic references, experiential and project-oriented environmental activities, and school routines reinforced through teacher modeling. Four student-practice indicators received observation ratings of 3.3–3.6 on a four-point scale. Approximately 85% of pupils perceived that science lessons supported their environmental awareness, while 82% reported participating in environmental activities. These results reflect observed practices and reported perceptions rather than causal effects or sustained character development. The study contributes a case-grounded interpretive framework connecting curriculum articulation, learning experiences, and institutional reinforcement in integrated elementary science education.
Downloads
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal retain full copyright and can publish their work under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, which allows others to share and adapt the work with proper attribution to the authors and a link to the license. Authors may also enter into separate, non-exclusive distribution agreements, such as posting to institutional repositories or publishing in books, with acknowledgment of the original publication. Additionally, authors are encouraged to share their work online to increase citations. The journal allows third parties to share and adapt the work with appropriate credit, a link to the license, and an indication of changes made. For more information on Open Access, see The Effect of Open Access.
References
Amaliati, S., Rusydiyah, E. F., & Bakar, M. Y. A. (2024). Ecopedagogy and environmental literacy in research trends in Indonesia. QALAMUNA: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial, dan Agama, 16(2), 1083–1100. https://doi.org/10.37680/qalamuna.v16i2.5359
Baierl, T.-M., Paul, J., & Bogner, F. X. (2025). From attitudes to action: A multidimensional model for sustainability education. Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1654082. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1654082
Bell, S. (2010). Project-based learning for the 21st century: Skills for the future. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 83(2), 39–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098650903505415
Collins, M. A., Romero, V. F., Young, A., Dorph, R., Foreman, J., Strang, C., Pande, A., & Laina, V. (2025). The value of outdoor environmental education programs for girls and youth of color: Cultivating positive dispositions toward science and the environment. Environmental Education Research, 31(1), 108–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2340502
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. SAGE Publications.
Gal, A. (2024). Fostering positive engagement: Climate change and environmental activism in the sixth-grade classroom. Environmental Education Research, 30(12), 2272–2290. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2369804
Gunamantha, I. M., & Dantes, I. N. (2025). Cultivating environmental literacy in the classroom: A study of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward 3R in Indonesian elementary education in support of SDG 4.7. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(6), Article e06779. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n06.pe06779
Juliani, Mahdi, H., Sari, S. W., Sari, S. I., & Nazwa, N. R. (2024). Green Islamic school: Integrating environmental education in the Islamic education curriculum. Cendekiawan: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Studi Keislaman, 3(3), 565–574. https://doi.org/10.61253/cendekiawan.v3i3.270
Kopbossyn, A., Laiskhanov, S., Aksoy, B., Tokbergenova, A., Nametkulov, M., & Kozybakova, A. (2025). Integrated STEM for sustainability in school and early teacher education: A systematic review (2019–2025). Frontiers in Education, 10, Article 1697058. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1697058
Kosherbayeva, S., Karbaeva, S., Umirzakova, N., Amirasheva, B., Tulenova, U., & Amantayeva, A. (2026). Project-based environmental education for developing socio-ecological values and sustainable behaviour among Kazakhstani school students. Frontiers in Education, 11, Article 1794619. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1794619
Kusufa, R. A. B., Linjon, L., & Sari, Y. I. (2026). Building ecological awareness in coastal elementary schools: The impact of problem-based learning and learning motivation. Journal of Integrated Elementary Education, 6(1), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.21580/jieed.v6i1.29439
Lutfauziah, A., Al-Muhdhar, M. H. I., Suhadi, & Rohman, F. (2023). Curriculum development for environmental education at an Islamic boarding school. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 20(3), 490–503. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2023.028
Mansur, M., & Sholeh, M. (2024). Implementing character education based on local wisdom in a public Islamic elementary school. Journal of Integrated Elementary Education, 4(1), 54–70. https://doi.org/10.21580/jieed.v4i1.20238
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Muela-Bermejo, D., & Pérez-Martínez, L. (2025). Enhancing sustainability education through critical reading: A qualitative study in a Spanish primary school. Environmental Education Research, 31(5), 1033–1047. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2408428
Muin, A., Rosyid, M. Z., Rahman, H., & Rofiqi. (2025). Ecological tauhid-based green school management: A case study of the implementation of eco-pesantren at Mambaul Ulum Islamic Junior High School, Pamekasan. EDUKASIA: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran, 6(1), 551–562. https://doi.org/10.62775/edukasia.v6i1.1457
Nisa, R., Wijaya, H., Asrin, Istiningsih, S., Sumardi, L., & Fahruddin. (2024). Implementation of Pancasila student profile character education in the independent curriculum. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v11i9.6045
Noor, M., & Anwar, K. (2025). Fostering ecological awareness from an early age: Integrating environmental education based on the Qur’an and Hadith into primary school learning. Tunas: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, 10(2), 191–197. https://doi.org/10.33084/tunas.v10i2.10117
Nugraha, L., Saud, U. S., Hartati, T., & Damaianti, V. S. (2022). Profile of learning environmental literacy in elementary school. PrimaryEdu: Journal of Primary Education, 6(2), 211–222. https://doi.org/10.22460/pej.v6i2.3139
Nur, A., Husin, H. B., Alwizar, & Yasir, M. (2025). Qur’anic ecotheology and the ethics of forest protection in Indonesia. Jurnal Studi Ilmu-ilmu Al-Qur’an dan Hadis, 26(2), 351–382. https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.v26i2.6312
Portus, R., Aarnio-Linnanvuori, E., Dillon, B., Fahy, F., Gopinath, D., Mansikka-Aho, A., Williams, S.-J., Reilly, K., & McEwen, L. (2024). Exploring the environmental value action gap in education research: A semi-systematic literature review. Environmental Education Research, 30(6), 833–863. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2314060
Puspitasari, D., Amrullah, M., & Rezania, V. (2025). The implementation of the Pancasila student profile Rahmatan Lil’ Alamin approach on the religious character of elementary school. Metodik Didaktik, 21(1), 78–89. https://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/MetodikDidaktik/article/view/88362
Rahmania, T. (2024). Exploring school environmental psychology in children and adolescents: The influence of environmental and psychosocial factors on sustainable behavior in Indonesia. Heliyon, 10(18), Article e37881. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37881
Rohman, A., Kurniawan, E., Syifauddin, M., Muhtamiroh, S., & Muthohar, A. (2024). Religious education for the environment: Integrating eco-theology in the curriculum of Islamic religious and character education to enhance environmental education in Indonesia. Nadwa: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 18(2), 201–226. https://doi.org/10.21580/nw.2024.18.2.21094
Sutiana, D., & Nugraha, M. S. (2025). Integration of Islamic values and science in Islamic primary schools: A philosophy of science approach. Journal of Elementary Education Research and Practice, 1(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.70376/bv7bqx53
Tilbury, D. (1995). Environmental education for sustainability: Defining the new focus of environmental education in the 1990s. Environmental Education Research, 1(2), 195–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350462950010206
van de Wetering, J., Leijten, P., Spitzer, J., & Thomaes, S. (2022). Does environmental education benefit environmental outcomes in children and adolescents? A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 81, Article 101782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101782
Vesterinen, M., & Ratinen, I. (2024). Sustainability competences in primary school education—A systematic literature review. Environmental Education Research, 30(1), 56–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2170984
Whitburn, J., Abrahamse, W., & Linklater, W. L. (2023). Do environmental education fieldtrips strengthen children’s connection to nature and promote environmental behaviour or wellbeing? Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 5, Article 100163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2023.100163
Wilujeng, I., Dwandaru, W. S. B., & Rauf, R. A. B. A. (2019). The effectiveness of education for environmental sustainable development to enhance environmental literacy in science education: A case study of hydropower. Jurnal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 8(4), 521–528. https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v8i4.19948