<![CDATA[Environmental education in elementary schools may increase students’ environmental knowledge without necessarily producing corresponding behavioural engagement. This study evaluated whether participation in a structured project-based planting activity was associated with changes in elementary students’ self-reported environmental care behaviour. A one-group pretest–posttest pre-experimental design was used with 168 Grade IV and V students from seven public elementary schools in Kediri Regency, Indonesia. Data were collected using a nine-item Likert-type questionnaire covering environmental understanding, active engagement, and responsibility and care intention. Descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test were used to examine pretest–posttest differences, and Cohen’s d was calculated to describe the magnitude of change. The mean score increased from 21.43 (SD = 3.72) at pretest to 29.18 (SD = 3.14) at posttest, with a mean difference of 7.75 points, t (167) = 17.379, p < .001, and d = 1.34. The findings indicate a large short-term increase in students’ self-reported environmental care behaviour following the activity. However, because the study did not include a control group or longitudinal follow-up, the observed gain should not be interpreted as definitive evidence of a causal or lasting intervention effect. The findings support the use of structured, hands-on environmental activities as a feasible component of elementary environmental education while highlighting the need for controlled and longitudinal research]]>
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