Abstract
Teachers are confronted with many issues regarding teaching and learning science. Currently Malaysian schools are facing
difficulties in encouraging student to take up science in upper secondary. Student found science to be difficult and not enjoyable.
Realizing this, alternative methods of teaching science have been proposed. Collaborative action research was carried out to work
with teachers on how environment awareness and knowledge can be taught which would make students enjoy their learning and
be informed about environmental knowledge. LICHEN study was proposed by a group of lecturers in measuring the quality of air
by using simple apparatus which can be carried out outdoor. This paper reports as project work which was carried out
collaboratively between university lecturers and teachers with their students. A teaching module using LICHEN to measure
quality of air in the environment was designed by the science lecturers. Working collaboratively with faculty’s lecturers, a group
of teachers from 7 schools were selected to bring along 64 of their students to attend a project work and experience the use of
LICHEN. Together with the students, school teachers conducted the experiment group. The experiment involved measuring the
quality of air, measuring and observing the LICHEN then they have to carry out repeat and conducting three different areas to
show the different air quality (near the roadside, pond and open space). Each group would present and display the result. At the
end of the experiment the reaction from the teachers and students were very positive. They have gained the knowledge and
valuable experimental competencies besides becoming more aware of the need to sustain the environment.