THE INQUIRY ETHNOBOTANY LEARNING MODEL: AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL TO ENHANCE STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY

Abstract

Environmental literacy related to the utilization of medicinal plants in the community provides a foundation for the younger generation to take an active role and form an attitude of care and responsibility for environmental sustainability. The current research aims to introduce the Inquiry-Etnobotany (IEb) learning model to enhance students' environmental literacy. The research design applied a pretest-posttest control group design to assess the effectiveness of the IEb model intervention, comparing it with the inquiry and discovery learning models. Upon analysis, notable differences emerged between the pre-test and post-test results across various learning models. Specifically, the IEb model exhibited a substantial difference, indicating significant progress in student outcomes. Similarly, the inquiry model showcased an improvement, while the discovery learning model displayed a slightly smaller change. Furthermore, the disparities between pre-test and post-test outcomes were evident across the different schools involved in the study. The IEb model has a significant impact on enhancing students' environmental literacy. However, the research results in each school also demonstrate that various learning models enhance students' understanding of environmental issues despite the different levels of effect. Keywords: inquiry model, ethnobotany, environmental literacy, medicinal plants, live laboratory