Science Literacy Level of Global Warming Issue to Sustainable

Lifestyles of Elementary School Teachers

Juhadi, Apik Budisantoso, Febrina Larasati and Edy Trihatmoko

Faculty of Social Science, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia

Keywords: Global warming, Sustainable Lifestyle, Teacher of Elementary School.

Abstract: This research aimed to identify the scientific literacy level of global warming and its correlation to the

sustainable lifestyles of the teachers of elementary school, including how they implement it. The research

goal was conducted since global warming phenomena affect the balance of ecology and human life. For this

reason, mitigation in the education sector is needed. Disaster mitigation in terms of education refers to the

policies of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The policy document includes the application of scientific

literacy in learning to prepare people for global warming. Besides, the policy document aims to foster a

sustainable lifestyle as an effort to overcome the increasing ecological footprint that exceeds the existing

space capacity. Therefore, this must be instilled in children's learning from an early age. Learning an old age

put the teachers with a critical role so that we put the teachers as the primary sample research. The research

data was processed using quantitative and qualitative descriptive data analysis techniques. The result shows

77% of teachers have moderate science literacy level of the global warming, then for sustainable lifestyles,

there are about 77% of teachers in the "good" category and 23% of teachers in the moderate group. For the

implementation, the teacher still uses the lecture method with the LKS handbook.

1 INTRODUCTION

As an ecological imbalance, Global warming is a

process of increasing the average temperature of the

Earth's atmosphere. This phenomenon caused by

increasing greenhouse gases that now being an

international consensus among scientists (Juhadi et

al., 2013 Smith et al., 2019). These greenhouse gases

make sunlight cannot be reflected out of space

optimally so that it accumulates in Earth and make the

surface temperature increase (Wuryandari, 2016).

The increasing temperature is calculated at 0.8 °C on

the global mean surface temperature (GMST) since

the beginning of the industrial era based on the special

report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) in 2019 (IPCC, 2019). To-third of the

temperature increased began in 1975. So that

scientists limit the "safe" temperature of the Earth's

surface at 1.5 °C.

Human activities that trigger an increase in

greenhouse gases are the excessive use of fossil fuels.

Those activities are related to the utilizing of motor

vehicles, industrial activities, deforestation, air

conditioners usage. The accumulation of carbon

compounds in the atmosphere potentially gives

damage to the ozone layer and other adverse effects

(Meiviana, 2004) as had been recorded in 2015, 18.35

billion tons of carbon dioxide released on the Earth’s

atmosphere (Sulistyo, 2015). By the rapid

development and carbon-emitting, the amount of

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere must increase by

the present time. As had been recorded, the increasing

number of motor vehicles in Indonesia, from 2015 to

2017, was around 121 million, 129 million, 138

million, respectively (BPS, 2018).

The increasing number of motor vehicles will

cause an increase in CO2 in the atmosphere. Where

CO2 is one of the constituents of greenhouse gases, it

will trigger more greenhouse gases that accumulate in

the atmosphere and cause more heat from the sun

retained on Earth. This condition will threaten the life

of living things on Earth, including humans

(Anenberg et al., 2012; Hansen et al., 2013; Hao et

al., 2016). If this phenomenon is allowed to continue,

it will have an impact on the ecological balance. To

overcome this, the Ministry of Education and Culture

(Kemendikbud) in 2017 urges the public to master

scientific literacy.

Science literacy defines as an ability to

understand, communicate, and use science to solve

Juhadi, ., Budisantoso, A., Larasati, F. and Trihatmoko, E.

Science Literacy Level of Global Warming Issue to Sustainable Lifestyles of Elementary School Teachers.

DOI: 10.5220/0010018502990304

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Social and Political Development (ICOSOP 3 2019) - Social Engineering Governance for the People, Technology and Infrastructure in

Revolution Industry 4.0, pages 299-304

ISBN: 978-989-758-472-5

299

problems and bear the attitude of sensitivity for their

own and their environment (Arif, 2017).By science

literacy, the community is expected able to have the

skills to use their scientific knowledge in making wise

attitudes toward the environment.

This attitude and high sensitivity towards the

environment is also called sustainable lifestyle. A

sustainable lifestyle is a concept adapted from the

concept of sustainable development, which states that

development or improvement of people's welfare in

meeting needs without ignoring future needs. A

sustainable lifestyle is more directed to a personal

lifestyle that can be done by individuals in their daily

activities related to environmental preservation so

that the environment has a sustainable function for the

next generation (Saraswati, 2012). Sustainable

lifestyles are possibly associated with small things

that we do every day and can have an impact on the

environment.

The concept of global warming and sustainable

lifestyle scientific literacy must be instilled from an

early age. At this early age, children tend to imitate

the things around them quickly, as the nature of early

childhood characteristics (Kartadinata, 2003).

Therefore, the teacher's role is crucial in early

childhood learning because the teacher will later

become a role model for their students (Rosidin and

Suyatna, 2017). Teachers are also expected to have a

good understanding of global warming literacy and

sustainable lifestyle literacy so that they can be

modeled and can achieve successful learning. From

the above, the writer will examine how the level of

scientific literacy of "global warming" of the

sustainable lifestyles of elementary school teachers.

2 METHOD

This research was conducted in Bangsri Village,

Bangsri District, Jepara Regency, Central Java, in

June 2019. The population of the research area was

76 teachers. From this population, the number of

samples taken by purposive sampling, as a sampling

technique with specific considerations, namely the

teachers who take care of the grade classes of 4, 5,

and 6 because they began to teach global warming in

particular subjects. Based on the criteria of the

research, the samples are collected up to 30 teachers.

3 STUDY AREA

The research was conducted in Bangsri Village as one

of the villages in Bangsri District, Jepara Regency.

Bangsri Village is located at 6 ° 31 '59 "- 6 ° 32 '15"

South Latitude and 110 ° 44 '22 "110 ° 46 '0" East

Longitude. Bangsri Village is in an area with a height

of <500 m above sea level, so it can be categorized

that Bangsri Village has a gentle topography. Bangsri

Village has an area of 748.78 Ha or equal to 7.49 km2,

partly dominated by forests in 45% and buildings in

37% and other as mix land uses. Rainfall in Bangsri

District itself is around 1127 mm/year, with 98 rainy

days.

The population in the Bangsri Village is around

17,998. The population density of Bangsri village is

around 2,403 per km2. In addition, the sex ratio of

Bangsri Village is 99 from 8,932 for the male

population, and 9,066 for the female population. So

there are every 100 women there is 99 male

population.

Bangsri Village has eight public elementary

schools with a total of 98 classrooms. Besides, in the

village of Bangsri, there are also two private primary

schools with a total of about 14 classrooms with a

total of 235 students and 17 teachers.

4 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Science Literacy Level of Global

Warming

Based on the analysis of primary data from the

questionnaires, 77% of teachers have scientific

literacy of global warming at a moderate level, then

13% of teachers have scientific literacy of global

warming at a low level, and 10% of teachers have

scientific literacy of global warming at a high level.

From the percentages can be described that the

average teacher of this research sample has a

moderate science literacy level of the global

warming. To teach a subject matter, the teachers must

have good knowledge so that there are no

misconceptions when teaching students, this

statement in line with Dal et al. (2015); Abidin,

Mulyati, and Yunansah (2017); Rosidin and Suyatna,

2017; Dal et al. (2019). The theory stated that teachers

must be able to become effective teachers in terms of

personal quality, knowledge, reproduction skills of

practice, and problem-solving.

From the results of primary data analysis, it is also

known that several trends can be seen from the

ICOSOP 3 2019 - International Conference on Social Political Development (ICOSOP) 3

300

background of the teacher being studied. Because the

teachers have backgrounds such as employment

status, age, and different teaching classes. The results

of the primary data analysis stated that the teachers

who teach in grade 6 tend that their global warming

literacy is at a moderate-high level.

Then for teachers who teach in class 5 tend to have

the level of global warming scientific literacy at a

moderate level, and for teachers who teach in grade 4

tend to have the level of global warming scientific

literacy at a low-moderate level.

This can be caused by the teacher placement

factor at a grade level also influenced by the level of

knowledge they have (Rosidin and Suyatna, 2017;

Dal et al., 2019).

Then for employment status does not affect how

the level of scientific literacy of the global warming

possessed by teachers because based on the results of

primary data analysis of 13% of teachers who have

low scientific literacy level of the global warming

comes from teachers who have certification of the

employment status and for 10% of teachers those who

have high scientific literacy level of the global

warming are also teachers who have certified of the

employment status and for 77% of teachers who have

global warming literacy which is comprised of

teachers who have both certification and non-

certification employment status.

So it cannot be said that teachers who have

certified with scientific literacy status are all high or

low as well as teachers who do not have certification.

This condition is in line with Abidin, Mulyati, and

Yunansah (2017) that the real development of

teachers lies in the willingness and ability to develop

themselves when they have become teachers.

As seen in Figure 1 there are six parameters for

two indicators, namely knowledge indicators

consisting of 3 settings, namely content, procedural,

and episystemic knowledge. episystemic is the term

to understand the role of defining the critical features

and specific constructions. This term also identifies

as the process of building knowledge in science

(Abidin et al., 2017). For the second indicator as the

competency indicator also includes 3 parameters,

namely the parameters for science usage in explaining

global warming, preparation of scientific

experiments, and interpretation of data and facts.

Figure 1: Graph of comparison of parameters in global

warming science literacy. Source: primary data analysis,

2019.

In Figure 1, the indicator of episystemic

knowledge has a low value compared to other

parameters in terms of knowledge parameters. It

seems ironic considering that episystemic knowledge

is an essential term in global warming. As for the

indicators of competency, the science usage in

explaining global warming has the lowest value,

among other competency parameters.

The two low parameters indicate that the teachers

have not mastered the global warming scientific

literacy yet. So that when teaching global warming,

the teachers will face the difficulties of using

scientific terms.

In addition to these two parameters, the skill

parameters compiling scientific experiments also get

the lowest value after the parameters of the use of

science in explaining global warming. Because based

on the results of observation also showed that the

sample was never taught using simple scientific

experiment methods in the classroom. So when

answering questions for this parameter, the teachers

are having difficulty getting the conclusions.

When compared between the two indicators, the

knowledge indicator has a higher average value than

the competency indicators. Based on the results of the

primary data analysis, the overall teachers have a

higher knowledge value than competency or skill.

4.2 Sustainable Lifestyles Attitude

The sustainable lifestyle attitude will be grouped into

three categories: good, moderate, and not good. And

based on the results of primary data processing, there

are 77% of the teachers have good sustainable

lifestyles, and 23% of teachers are categorized into

moderate category. Besides, there are about 76% of

teachers who have been certified. With this

certification program, teachers receive a one-time

salary allowance so that it can be used to improve

economic conditions. By having a good financial

situation, it will also affect individual consumption.

Sustainable lifestyles have the following indicators:

Content

Knowledge

Procedural

Knowledge

Episystemic

Knowledge

ScienceUsagein

ExplainingGlobal

Warming

Preparationof

Scientific

Experiments

DataandFacts

Interpretation

RelatedtoGlobal

WarmingEffect

Science Literacy Level of Global Warming Issue to Sustainable Lifestyles of Elementary School Teachers

301

Table 1: Percentage of Each Category on Sustainable

Lifestyles Indicator (Source: Primary data analysis, 2019).

Sustainable

lifestyles Indicators

Category

Not Good Moderate Good

Intensity of

Motorbike Use

20% 63% 17%

Energy Saving

Behavior

17% 53% 30%

Paper Use 7% 70% 23%

Tissue Use 13% 70% 17%

Meat Consumption

Intensity

13% 63% 24%

Tree planting 10% 73% 17%

Plastics Use 10% 70% 20%

AC Use 6% 67% 27%

Based on Table 1, the highest percentage of “not

good” attitude is the usage of motorbike. From the

analysis of the statement items on the questionnaire,

it is known that there is around 53% of the sample

traveling for both short and long distances

Furthermore, 73% of the sample answered that

they are always using a motorbike when leaving for

work.

Figure 2:Teacher's motorbike parking.

The use of motorbikes for working can also be

affected by the distance between the house to school.

Based on the questionnaire, the distance can be

categorized into three groups; ≤ 500 m (23%), 600-1

km (27%), and 1.5 km (50%). So, the use of

motorbikes becomes essential to improve mobility.

However, the use of the motorbikes cannot easily

be stopped since Indonesia is located at the latitude of

the equator geographically, which has a tropical

climate so that the air tends to be hot so that the

majority of people become dependent on motorized

vehicles. But we can be wise in using a motorbike, for

example, when the intended distance is close, we can

use a bicycle or even walking. Besides, the

government has also provided public transportation to

become a choice.

The next indicator is life-saving behaviour.

Around 53% of the teachers were categorized to have

a good energy-saving behaviour. As had been shown

in the analysis of the questionnaire. For examples, the

teachers have aware to turn off electronic equipment

including the unoccupied room when they are not

being used. As shown by picture below that the

classroom lights and the teacher's room are turned off

during the daytime and equipment such as televisions

and fans also turned off when not in use.

Figure 3: Teacher’s room condition.

The third indicator is the use of paper; 50 % of the

teachers sometimes uses scrap paper to give

assignments. One of them is making a craft from

paper recycling, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Craft from paper.

The fourth indicator is the use of tissue. An

average of 70% of teachers has relatively good use of

tissue. Even though 66% of the samples answered that

sometimes they bring a tissue to school, but the

teachers did not show it to students, as shown in the

picture below, which did not show the use of tissue

on the teacher's desk.

ICOSOP 3 2019 - International Conference on Social Political Development (ICOSOP) 3

302

Figure 5: Teacher’s table condition.

Furthermore, for the indicator of meat

consumption, some samples have non-consumptive

lifestyles. It is also proven that 46% of the teachers do

not often consume meat in a week. In this case, the

teachers' lifestyles are already healthful because even

though 76% of the teachers already have certification

status and include civil servants (PNS), that means

having a higher income level.

To plant a tree, 40% of the teachers often plant

trees at home, and 50% of the sample answered

sometimes. The teachers always choose because it is

influenced by land and area factors, other than that to

plant trees cannot be done every day. Then to plant

trees to train students, there is 70% of the sample

answered often. Even so, there are some schools

whose parks are poorly maintained, as shown below.

Figure 6: Garden in school.

The next indicator is the use of plastic, 63% of the

sample that sometimes brings lunch to school because

as it is known that schools provide tea or water in the

glass provided in the glass as shown in Figure 5, but

in the items replacing plastic with shopping bags,

66% of the sample Never carry shopping bags when

shopping. The conclusion, on average, about 70% of

the sample stated a quite good attitude for plastic

usage.

Figure 7: Optimizing of using glass for drinking water.

The last indicator is the use of air conditioner

(AC) 80% of the sample does not use AC at home,

20% of the teachers often answered and sometimes

used AC at home, this indicates that there are about

20% of samples that have AC at home. As figured out

from the status of employmentwho have been

certified, there are around 76% of the teachers that are

considered capable of buying air conditioners related

to their employment status. However, in reality, only

20% of samples have air conditioners at home. This

phenomenon shows a proper attitude of using air

conditioners.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The level of scientific literacy of the global warming

of elementary school teachers by 77% is still

considering in the moderate category. On the other

hand, the tremendous knowledge is needed to teach

students and avoiding misconceptions, linearly with

the theory that the quality of the teacher's explanation

and expertise will affect the success of student

learning (Hiller in Laksana, 2015). Of the 77% of

global warming scientific literacy results, the teacher

is more knowledgeable about global warming than

the practice of applying that knowledge into a

scientific experiment or data interpretation because

based on the results of the interview also note that the

teacher does not use scientific experiments at all in

teaching class.

Science Literacy Level of Global Warming Issue to Sustainable Lifestyles of Elementary School Teachers

303

With a moderate level of global warming

scientific literacy, teachers have a "good" sustainable

lifestyle attitude of 77%. The economic level of the

teachers influences the lifestyle attitude, including

their needs. There are about 76% of the sample who

have certification of the civil servant employment

status are considered having good financial

conditions and can meet the consumption needs of

tertiary and energy consumption for sophisticated

electronic equipment. Still, even so, these eight

indicators for sustainable lifestyles show proper

behaviour.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank all the elementary

school teachers and the residents of Bangsri Village.

The last to all those who helped this research.

REFERENCES

Abidin, Y., Mulyati, T., Yunansah, H., 2017. Pembelajaran

literasi: strategi meningkatkan kemampuan literasi

matematika, sains, membaca dan menulis, Bumi

Aksara. Jakarta.

Anenberg, S.C., Schwartz, J., Shindell, D., Amann, M.,

Faluvegi, G., 2012. Global air quality and health co-

benefits of mitigating near-term climate change through

methane and black carbon emission controls.

Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(6), 831-839.

Arif, C., Indra, B., Trisnadi, D., 2017. The potential of

global warming from rice field by using system rice

intensification (sri) with various ground water levels (In

bahasa: potensi pemanasan global dari padi sawah

system rice intensification (sri) dengan berbagai

ketinggian muka air tanah. Jurnal Lingkungan, 11(2),

81-90.

BPS, 2018. Tabel Jumlah Kendaraan Bermotor di Indonesia

Tahun 1999-2017. Accessed in

http://www.BPS.go.id/lingkungan-hidup.

Dal, B., Ozturk, N., Alper, U., Sonmez, D., Cokelez, A.,

2015. An analysis of the teachers’ climate change

awareness. Athens Journal of Education, 2(2), 111-122.

Hansen, J., Kharecha, P., Sato, M., Masson-Delmotte, V.,

Ackerman, F. 2013. assessing “dangerous climate

change”: required reduction of carbon emissions to

protect young people, future generations and nature.

PLoS One, 8, 12.

Hao, Y., Chen, H., Wei, Y., Li, Y. 2016. The influence of

climate change on CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions: an

empirical estimation based on Chinese provincial panel

data. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131, 667-677.

Kartadinata, S., 2003. Pendekatan pembelajaran berbasis

perkembangan, Al Mabrur. Bandung.

Laksana, D.N.L., 2015. Pembelajaran kontekstual

berbantuan LKS dalam upaya meningkatkan

pemahaman konsep IPA dan aktivitas belajar siswa sd.

Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Citra Bakti, 2(1), 79-89.

IPCC. 2019. Special report global warming of 1.5ºC.

Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/.

Kemendikbud, 2017. Materi Pendukung Literasi Sains.

Kemendikbud. Jakarta.

Meiviana, A., 2004. Bumi makin panas: Ancaman

perubahan iklim di indonesia), Kementrian

Lingkungan Hidup. Jakarta.

Rosidin, U., Suyatna, A., 2017. Teachers and students

knowledge about global warming: a study in smoke

disaster area of indonesia.International Journal of

Environmental & Science Education, 12(4), 777-785.

Saraswati, M.I.N.P., Anityasari, M., 2012. Analisis gaya

hidup berkelanjutan (sustainable lifestyles) siswa-siswi

di sma surabaya), Jurnal Teknik ITS. 1(1), 561-566.

Smith, G.G., Besalti, M., Nation, M., Feldman, A., Laux,

K. 2019. Teaching climate change science to high

school students using computer games in an intermedia

narrative. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science

and Technology Education, 15(6), 1-16. Retrieved from

https://www.ejmste.com/ download/teaching-climate-

change-science-to-high-school-students-using-

computer-games-in-an-intermedia-7669.pdf

ICOSOP 3 2019 - International Conference on Social Political Development (ICOSOP) 3

304