MEDIA ECO-BRICK MELALUI PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PjBL) SEBAGAI SARANA DALAM MENINGKATKAN KESADARAN DAN KEPEDULIAN EKOLOGIS SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR 

ECO-BRICK MEDIA THROUGH PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PjBL) AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS AND CONCERN

Permasalahan pencemaran plastik yang semakin mengkhawatirkan menuntut adanya strategi pendidikan lingkungan hidup sejak usia dini. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh penerapan Project-Based Learning (PjBL) melalui pembuatan Eco-Brick terhadap peningkatan kesadaran dan kepedulian ekologis siswa Sekolah Dasar. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan Mixed Methods dengan desain Sequential Explanatory. Subjek penelitian adalah 16 siswa kelas VI SDN 4 Babadan, Kecamatan Patiantowo, Kabupaten Nganjuk. Data kuantitatif diperoleh melalui angket kesadaran dan kepedulian ekologis (pretest–posttest) dan dianalisis menggunakan Paired Sample T-Test dan Uji Wilcoxon, sedangkan data kualitatif dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi serta dianalisis dengan model Miles & Huberman. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya peningkatan signifikan pada kesadaran ekologis (rata-rata pretest 69,94 meningkat menjadi 89,00; N-Gain 0,63) dan kepedulian ekologis (rata-rata pretest 71,06 meningkat menjadi 90,69; N-Gain 0,68) dengan nilai signifikansi 0,000 < 0,05. Observasi dan wawancara mendukung hasil kuantitatif, di mana siswa menunjukkan antusiasme, keterlibatan aktif, serta kebiasaan baru dalam menjaga kebersihan lingkungan. Guru dan siswa memberikan respon positif terhadap penerapan PjBL berbasis Eco-Brick karena dinilai kontekstual, menyenangkan, dan bermakna. Dengan demikian, PjBL melalui Eco-Brick efektif dalam meningkatkan kesadaran dan kepedulian ekologis siswa serta berpotensi menjadi model pembelajaran lingkungan yang dapat direplikasi di sekolah dasar lain.

Kata Kunci: Project-Based Learning, Eco-Brick, Kesadaran Ekologis, Kepedulian Ekologis

The increasingly alarming issue of plastic pollution demands the implementation of environmental education strategies from an early age. This study aims to examine the effect of applying Project-Based Learning (PjBL) through Eco-Brick creation on improving the environmental awareness and ecological care of elementary school students. The research employed a Mixed Methods approach with a Sequential Explanatory design. The subjects were 16 sixth-grade students from SDN 4 Babadan, Patiantowo District, Nganjuk Regency. Quantitative data were obtained through environmental awareness and ecological care questionnaires (pretest–posttest) and analyzed using the Paired Sample T-Test and Wilcoxon Test, while qualitative data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using the Miles & Huberman model.

The results showed a significant improvement in environmental awareness (average pretest score of 69.94 increased to 89.00; N-Gain 0.63) and ecological care (average pretest score of 71.06 increased to 90.69; N-Gain 0.68) with a significance value of 0.000 < 0.05. Observations and interviews supported the quantitative results, revealing that students demonstrated enthusiasm, active participation, and new habits in maintaining environmental cleanliness. Both teachers and students responded positively to the implementation of Eco-Brick–based PjBL, considering it contextual, enjoyable, and meaningful. Therefore, PjBL through Eco-Brick is effective in enhancing students’ environmental awareness and ecological care and has the potential to serve as a replicable model of environmental learning in other elementary schools.

Keywords: Project-Based Learning, Eco-Brick, Environmental Awareness, Ecological Care