The Role of Ecotheology in Cultivating Environmentally Caring Character as a Mandate in Islamic Junior High Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/djash.v3i3.54149Keywords:
ecological school, environmental care, teaching materials, trust fundAbstract
This study aims to analyze the role of ecotheology education in fostering environmental awareness in Islamic Junior High Schools (Madrasah Tsanawiyah). One of the programs implemented is Asih Putera Ecoschool, an educational approach that instills values of environmental sustainability grounded in faith and piety. The study was conducted at MTs. Asih Putera in Cimahi City used a mixed-methods approach, employing data collection techniques such as questionnaires and interviews. The research sample consisted of purposively selected students, teachers, parents, and alumni. The results showed that 78% of students had good environmental awareness, while 22% still needed further understanding. From the teacher's perspective, 85% had implemented Ecoschool principles in their teaching, while 15% still encountered obstacles to implementation. From the parents' and alumni's perspectives, Ecoschool plays an important role in shaping students' character to care for and love the environment. The main factors supporting the successful implementation of Ecoschool are the availability of supporting facilities (72%), the integration of an environmentally based curriculum (68%), and school support (81%). However, several challenges were also identified, including a lack of specific teaching materials (60%) and minimal teacher training on Ecoschool (55%). This study concluded that ecotheology education at MTs Asih Putera in Cimahi City helps foster environmental awareness, although several challenges remain. Key recommendations include improving teacher training, developing environmentally based teaching materials, increasing student engagement, and collaborating with parents and alumni on sustainable environmental programs.
References
Adzani, I. A., Azizah, K. N., Adiwinata, N. J., & Marthania, W. (2024). Implementasi Ekopedagogi Dalam Pembelajaran Sekolah Dasar : Meningkatkan Kesadaran Lingkungan Dan Keterlibatan Siswa [Implementation of Ecopedagogy in Elementary School Learning: Increasing Environmental Awareness and Student Engagement]. Jurnal Pendidikan, Bahasa Dan Budaya, 3(1), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.55606/jpbb.v3i1.2730 [In Indonesian]
Ahmad, V. I., Ali, N., & Zuhriyah, I. A. (2025). Islamic Values in Environmental School Culture: Character Formation and Challenges. EDUKASIA Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 6(1), 267–280. https://doi.org/10.62775/edukasia.v6i1.1400
Al-Qur’an, T. P. T. (2019). Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahannya Edisi Penyempurnaan [The Qur’an and its Translation, Improved Edition] (1st ed.). Lajnah Pentashihan Mushaf Al-Qur’an.
Amrullah, H., & Herdiansyah, H. (2019). The Analysis of Green School Program Impact on Environmental Management Behavior and Psychology of High School Students in Jakarta. In ICOMHER (Ed.), Proceedings of the Proceedings of the 1st EAI International Conference on Medical And Health Research, ICoMHER November 13-14th 2018, Padang, West Sumatera, Indonesia (pp. 1–6). EAI. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.13-11-2018.2283821
Anwiyah, R., Rahmatullah, A. S., & Fauzan, A. (2021). Islamic Character Values In Ecological Education Practices At Sanggar Anak Alam (Salam) Nitiptayan Bantul. In Profetika: Jurnal Studi Islam (Vol. 22, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.23917/profetika.v22i2.16662
Ay, S., Atasoy, E., & Güleç, S. (2025). Evaluation of Eco-School Programs from the Perspective of School Principals: The Case of Bursa Province. Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International, 15(2), 655–678. https://doi.org/10.18039/ajesi.1527069
Azwar, S. (2013). Metode Penelitian [Research methods]. Pustaka Pelajar.
Azwar, S. (2016). Metode Penelitian [Research methods]. Pustaka Pelajar.
Burke, J. F. (2013). Quixote’s soldiers: A local history of the Chicano movement. The Social Science Journal, 50(4), 405–407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2013.10.001
Creswell. (2016). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Sage publications.
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2010). Mixed Methods Design. In Encyclopedia of Research Design (pp. 1–305). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412961288.n245
Friedel, M. H., Grice, A. C., Marshall, N. A., & van Klinken, R. D. (2011). Reducing contention amongst organisations dealing with commercially valuable but invasive plants: The case of buffel grass. Environmental Science & Policy, 14(8), 1205–1218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2011.08.001
Ghosh, S. (2015). Environmental standards and political federalism: Do labor legislations matter? Environmental Development, 16, 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2015.06.002
Hallinger, P., & Liu, S. (2016). Leadership and teacher learning in urban and rural schools in China: Meeting the dual challenges of equity and effectiveness. International Journal of Educational Development, 51, 163–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2016.10.001
Hermawan, A. H., Nasir, T. M., Sabarudin, M., Sugiana, Y., Ambya, R., Hasanah, A., & Arifin, B. S. (2025). Systematic Review of Character Education Integrating Islamic and Global Moral Values. Ta’dibuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(4), 267–289. https://doi.org/10.32832/tadibuna.v14i4.19848
Husin, A., Helmi, H., Nengsih, Y. K., & Rendana, M. (2025). Environmental Education in Schools: Sustainability and Hope. Discover Sustainability, 6(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-00837-2
Jefferson-Buchanan, R. (2016). Traces of discourses and governmentality within the content and implementation of the Western Australian Fundamental Movement Skills programme (STEPS Professional Development). Education 3-13, 44(5), 525–536. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2016.1169483
Kaliannan, M., & Adjovu, S. N. (2015). Effective Employee Engagement and Organizational Success: A Case Study. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 172, 161–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.350
Kasiram, M. (2010). Metodologi penelitian: Kualitatif-Kuantitatif [Research methodology: Qualitative-Quantitative]. UIN-Maliki Press.
Khan, S., Shahnaz, M., Jehan, N., Rehman, S., Shah, M. T., & Din, I. (2013). Drinking water quality and human health risk in Charsadda district, Pakistan. Journal of Cleaner Production, 60, 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.02.016
Khumairo, S., Chasanah, I., & Salsabila, A. A. P. (2025). Habituation of Green Education Based on Islamic Values: Instilling Environmental Ethics from an Early Age. Al-Abshar: Journal of Islamic Education Management, 4(1), 93–105. https://doi.org/10.58223/al-abshar.v4i1.463
Kimmich, C. (2013). Linking action situations: Coordination, conflicts, and evolution in electricity provision for irrigation in Andhra Pradesh, India. Ecological Economics, 90, 150–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.03.017
Macpherson, A. J., Principe, P. P., & Smith, E. R. (2010). A directional distance function approach to regional environmental–economic assessments. Ecological Economics, 69(10), 1918–1925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.04.012
Marwiji, M. H., Wahyudin, W., Setiono, J., & Ruswandi, U. (2024). Integration Of Environmental Education (Green Moral) Through The Learning Of Islamic Religion Education In School. JHSS (Journal of Humanities and Social Studies), 08(01), 209–215. https://doi.org/10.33751/jhss.v8i1.9566
Maslani, M. (2023). Eco-Theology : Islamic Ethics and Environmental Transformation in Islamic Boarding Schools. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 12(04), 1001–1018. https://doi.org/10.30868/ei.v12i04.5132
Melo, P. C., Ge, J., Craig, T., Brewer, M. J., & Thronicker, I. (2018). Does Work-life Balance Affect Pro-environmental Behaviour? Evidence for the UK Using Longitudinal Microdata. Ecological Economics, 145, 170–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.09.006
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2020). Qualitative Data Analysis : A Methods Sourcebook. In Buku Teks Umum (4th ed., p. 380). California : SAGE.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Muhaimin, M. (2020). Pendidikan Lingkungan Hidup dalam Perspektif Islam [Environmental Education from an Islamic Perspective]. Syaikhuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pranata Islam, 11(1), 64–78. https://doi.org/10.36835/syaikhuna.v11i1.3844 [In Indonesian]
Mulyani, N., Koswara, D., & Darajat, D. (2024). Relevansi Konsep Silih Asih, Silih Asah, Silih Asuh dalam Membentuk Karakter Peserta Didik di Era Society 5.0 [The Relevance of the Concepts of Silih Asih, Silih Asah, Silih Asuh in Shaping Students’ Character in the Era of Society 5.0]. JSIM: Jurnal Ilmu Sosial Dan Pendidikan, 5(4), 839–846. https://doi.org/10.36418/syntaximperatif.v5i4.484 [In Indonesian]
Nissanke, M., & Thorbecke, E. (2010). Globalization, Poverty, and Inequality in Latin America: Findings from Case Studies. World Development, 38(6), 797–802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2010.02.003
Nurlila, R. U., & La Fua, J. (2022). Implementation of School Policy in Maintaining Environmental Care in Indonesia. Al-TA’DIB: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Kependidikan, 15(2), 126. https://doi.org/10.31332/atdbwv15i2.5227
Palmer, J. (2014). Past remarkable: Using life stories to trace alternative futures. Futures, 64, 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.10.002
Pamuji, S., & Mulyadi, Y. (2024). Formation Of Students’ Character Through Islamic Education. International Journal of Islamic Thought and Humanities, 3(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.54298/ijith.v3i1.183
Prihatmoko, D. D. (2020). Implementasi Kebijakan Pendidikan Lingkungan Hidup Di Sekolah Islam Terpadu Dalam Kajian Literatur [Implementation of Environmental Education Policy in Integrated Islamic Schools in Literature Review]. Ulumuddin : Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 10(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.47200/ulumuddin.v10i2.433 [In Indonesian]
Ramadhani, T., Widiyanta, D., Sumayana, Y., Santoso, R. Y., Agustin, P. D., & Al-Amin. (2024). The Role Of Character Education In Forming Ethical And Responsible Students. IJGIE (International Journal of Graduate of Islamic Education), 5(2), 110–124. https://doi.org/10.37567/ijgie.v5i2.3064
Rosnaningsih, A., & Putra, A. S. (2025). Cahaya Pengabdian Edukasi Sekolah Hijau (Green School) untuk Menanamkan Karakter Peduli Lingkungan Pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar Cahaya Pengabdian [Cahaya Pengabdian Green School Education Service to Instill Environmentally Caring Character in Elementary Schoo. Cahaya Pengabdian, 2(1), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.61971/cp.v2i1.160 [In Indonesian]
Ruswanda, A. S. (2025). Mengkaji Konsep Ekoteologi Menurut Nasaruddin Umar [Examining the Concept of Ecotheology According to Nasaruddin Umar]. Jurnal Keislaman, 8(2), 532–545. https://doi.org/10.54298/jk.v8i2.667 [In Indonesian]
Safwannur, S., Permana, H. A., Triansyah, A. A., Nasir, T. M., & Sari, I. I. (2023). Peran Guru PAI dalam Pembentukan Karakter Kedisiplinan Santri di MI Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Indralaya Ogan Ilir [The Role of Islamic Religious Education Teachers in the Formation of Disciplinary Character of Students at MI Raudhatul Ulum Sakatiga Indralay. AT-TA`DIB, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.32832/at-tadib.v7i1.19541 [In Indonesian]
Saputra, T. A., Baharudin, & Afriyadi, M. M. (2025). Menumbuhkan Kesadaran Ekologis Siswa Sejak Dini : Menjadikan Lingkungan Sebagai Sekolah Kehidupan [Cultivating Students’ Ecological Awareness from an Early Age: Making the Environment a School of Life]. Muallimun: Jurnal Kajian Pendidikan Dan Keguruan, 5(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.23971/muallimun.v5i1.10007 [In Indonesian]
Shaw, A., Sheppard, S., Burch, S., Flanders, D., Wiek, A., Carmichael, J., Robinson, J., & Cohen, S. (2009). Making local futures tangible—Synthesizing, downscaling, and visualizing climate change scenarios for participatory capacity building. Global Environmental Change, 19(4), 447–463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.04.002
Sugiana, Y., Nasir, T. M., & Badrudin, B. (2025). Islamic Character Education: A Conceptual Linguistic Approach to Ittibāʿ and Mulḥaq Based on Surah At-Ṭūr 21. Al-Muhajirin International Conference, 1(1), 149–154.
Sugiyono. (2019a). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D [Quantitative, Qualitative, and R&D Research Methods]. Alphabet.
Sugiyono. (2019b). Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, dan R&D [Quantitative, Qualitative, and R&D Research Methods]. Alfabeta.
Sugiyono. (2020). Metode Penelitian Kualitatif [Qualitative Research Methods]. Alfabeta.
Supranoto, H. (2015). Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter Bangsa dalam Pembelajaran SMA [Implementation of National Character Education in High School Learning]. PROMOSI (Jurnal Pendidikan Ekonomi), 3(1), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.24127/ja.v3i1.141 [In Indonesian]
White, L. (1967). The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis. Science, 155(3767), 1203–1207. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.155.3767.1203
Xiong, Z., Song, Y., & Zhu, R. (2025). Pedagogical Strategies for Teaching Environmental Literacy in Secondary School Education: A Systematic Review. Sustainability, 17(20), 9104. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209104
Yamin, M., Ahmad, N., & Suhartini, A. (2022). Konsep Pendidikan Berwawasan Lingkungan dalam Perspektif Islam [The Concept of Environmentally Conscious Education from an Islamic Perspective]. EDUKATIF : JURNAL ILMU PENDIDIKAN, 4(4), 5852–5862. https://doi.org/10.31004/edukatif.v4i4.3513 [In Indonesian]
Zhang, C.-W., Li, F.-Y., Li, J.-F., Li, Y.-L., Xu, J., Xie, Q., Chen, S., & Guo, A.-F. (2018). Novel treatments for compatibility of plant fiber and starch by forming new hydrogen bonds. Journal of Cleaner Production, 185, 357–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.001
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).