THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLACE-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL: THE CITIZENSHIP CAPACITIES BUILDING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
A place-based environmental science instructional model was developed to promote sense of place and environmental literacy of lower secondary school students. This research is mixed-methodology which divided into two phases. The first phase is field study as science teaching assistant in Wat Porramai Yikawat School, Koh Kred, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand for 6 months, to develop the instructional model and two instruments; 1) sense of place assessment, and (2) environmental literacy assessment. The instructional model and instruments were refined according to the comments and suggestions from the experts and the results of tryout. The second phase is quasi-experimental research to evaluate the quality of instructional model by implementing with 30 ninth-grade students of the school in research site for 4 months. The data will be analyzed by using t-test dependent and content analysis of students’ learning evidences. The developed instructional model was composed of 4 principles; (1) use of local environmental problems as themes, (2) analysis of local environmental problems’ context, (3) reflection on local environmental problem solving experience, and (4) local community cooperation, the objectives of the developed instructional model were to promoting sense of place and environmental literacy of lower secondary school students, 3 steps of teaching preparation; (1) themes setting, (2) students’ learning capacities analysis, and (3) learning resources preparation, 6 steps of instructional process; (1) students’ capacities preparation, (2) local environmental survey, (3) context analysis of local environmental problems, (4) local environmental stewardship planning, (5) local environmental stewardship implementation, and (6) public presentation; and students’ learning evaluation guide. After the model was implemented in the early stage, most of 30 ninth-grade students in the research site’s school were improved the environmental knowledge, attitudes toward environment, responsible environmental behaviors, and place meanings. In contrast of the environmental skills and place attachment, which were not seemed to be improved from the pretest scores.