FOSTERING PRE-SERVICE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TEACHERS’ ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY THROUGH ECO BRICK PROJECT ASSISTANCE

Abstract

Environmental literacy is an essential competency for pre-service teachers, who play a strategic role in promoting sustainable practices in future classrooms. This community service project aimed to foster environmental literacy among pre-service elementary education teachers through an eco-brick assistance program using the Community-Based Research (CBR) approach. The program involved 60 students from the Elementary Teacher Education Department of IAIN Langsa, and was conducted over four weeks. The program comprised four stages: (1) collaborative planning and needs assessment, (2) Eco Brick training and project design, (3) project implementation and continuous assistance, and (4) product presentation, reflection, and evaluation. Data were collected through environmental literacy questionnaires and product assessments and analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicated improvements in participants’ environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes, and waste management practices. All groups successfully produced functional Eco Brick products from plastic waste, demonstrating their ability to apply sustainability concepts in practice. The CBR approach also promoted active participation, shared responsibility, and contextual learning throughout the project. This project contributes to teacher education by demonstrating a practical and replicable model for integrating environmental education, project-based learning, and community engagement while supporting sustainable plastic waste management in higher education.