Environmental Awareness, Scientific Attitude, and Environmental Responsibility of Grade 10 Learners of Tabon M. Estrella National High School, Bislig City Division: A Descriptive-Survey Study as Basis for a YES-O-Integrated Science Advocacy Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22011809Keywords:
environmental awareness, scientific attitude, environmental responsibility, Grade 10 learners, YES-O, science advocacyAbstract
This descriptive-survey study determined the environmental awareness, scientific attitude, and environmental responsibility of Grade 10 learners of Tabon M. Estrella National High School, Bislig City Division, during School Year 2025-2026 as basis for a proposed Youth for Environment in Schools Organization (YES-O)-Integrated Science Advocacy Program. A quantitative descriptive-survey design was employed using 275 valid responses from a total Grade 10 population of 282 learners, equivalent to a 97.52% response rate. Data were gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire administered through Google Forms using a four-point Likert scale. The instrument demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of .970 for environmental awareness, .980 for scientific attitude, and .981 for environmental responsibility. Frequency and percentage were used to describe learner participation variables, while weighted mean and standard deviation were used for the major study variables. Only 18.18% of learners were YES-O members and 32.73% had participated in school environmental activities. Despite limited formal participation, environmental awareness was Very High (M = 3.533), led by awareness of environmental issues (M = 3.575), while awareness of school-based environmental programs was comparatively lowest (M = 3.473). Scientific attitude was Very High (M = 3.425), with open-mindedness highest (M = 3.465) and critical-mindedness lowest (M = 3.393). Environmental responsibility was also Very High (M = 3.417), with responsible waste disposal strongest (M = 3.469) and conservation of school resources lowest (M = 3.400). The findings show strong environmental and scientific dispositions but limited formal participation. Accordingly, the proposed YES-O-Integrated Science Advocacy Program emphasizes program awareness, scientific inquiry, waste management, resource conservation, campus greening, and student-led advocacy to sustain learner strengths and expand meaningful participation in science-based environmental action.
Downloads
References
Abecia, D. R., Samillano, M. M. F., & Sumalinog, G. G. (2023). Environmental awareness, attitudes, and practices: A case study of a selected private senior high school in Surigao City, Philippines. International Network for Natural Sciences. https://innspub.net/environmental-awareness-attitudes-and-practices-a-case-study-of-a-selected-private-senior-high-school-in-surigao-city-philippines/
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Gaillard, E. (2020). Environmental education outcomes for conservation: A systematic review. Biological Conservation, 241, 108224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108224
Bamberg, S., & Möser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27(1), 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Department of Education. (2003). DepEd Order No. 72, s. 2003: Establishment of the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Organization. https://www.deped.gov.ph/2003/09/01/do-72-s-2003-establishment-of-the-youth-for-environment-in-schools-yes-organization/
Department of Education. (2011). DepEd Order No. 93, s. 2011: Mandated programs, projects and activities, various forms, and targets pertinent to the Youth for Environment in Schools Program. https://www.deped.gov.ph/
Escatron, M. J. E., Adlaon, M. S., Flores, D. K. G., & Escatron, R. A. (2023). Environmental awareness and practices of the selected public senior high school in Surigao City, Philippines: A case study. Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(8), 1054-1062. https://doi.org/10.47760/cognizance.2023.v03i08.028
Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2019). How to design and evaluate research in education (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Hollweg, K. S., Taylor, J. R., Bybee, R. W., Marcinkowski, T. J., McBeth, W. C., & Zoido, P. (2011). Developing a framework for assessing environmental literacy. North American Association for Environmental Education. https://cdn.naaee.org/sites/default/files/devframewkassessenvlitonline.pdf
Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? Environmental Education Research, 8(3), 239-260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620220145401
Lederman, N. G., Lederman, J. S., & Antink, A. (2013). Nature of science and scientific inquiry as contexts for the learning of science and achievement of scientific literacy. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 1(3), 138-147. https://ijemst.net/index.php/ijemst/article/view/19
McNeill, K. L., & Krajcik, J. (2012). Supporting grade 5-8 students in constructing explanations in science: The claim, evidence, and reasoning framework for talk and writing. Pearson.
Monroe, M. C., Plate, R. R., Oxarart, A., Bowers, A., & Chaves, W. A. (2019). Identifying effective climate change education strategies: A systematic review of the research. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 791-812. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1360842
OECD. (2022). Are students ready to take on environmental challenges? OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/8abe655c-en
OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 results: Philippines country note. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i-and-ii-country-notes_ed6fbcc5-en/philippines_a0882a2d-en.html
Ordonio, M. A. A., Garcia, L. C., & Saludes, B. S. (2025). Eco-conscious futures: What Filipino Grade 8 students think about climate change. Journal of Nature Studies, 24(1), 40-60. https://www.journalofnaturestudies.org/files/JNS24-1/40-60_Ordonio_Eco-Conscious%20Futures.pdf
Osborne, J., Simon, S., & Collins, S. (2003). Attitudes towards science: A review of the literature and its implications. International Journal of Science Education, 25(9), 1049-1079. https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069032000032199
Republic Act No. 9003. (2000). Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/01/26/republic-act-no-9003-s-2001/
Republic Act No. 9512. (2008). National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008. Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2008/12/12/republic-act-no-9512/
Stern, P. C. (2000). Toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behavior. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407-424. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00175
UNESCO. (2021). Only half of the national curricula in the world have a reference to climate change, UNESCO warns. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/only-half-national-curricula-world-have-reference-climate-change-unesco-warns
UNESCO. (2024). Greening curriculum guidance: Teaching and learning for climate action. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/greening-curriculum-guidance-teaching-and-learning-climate-action
UNICEF. (2021). Ethical research involving children. https://www.unicef-irc.org/research/ethical-research-and-children/
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
Zeidler, D. L., & Nichols, B. H. (2009). Socioscientific issues: Theory and practice. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 21(2), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173684
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.