Analyzing the affective domain of environmental literacy: A quantitative study of ‘Tatanen di Bale Atikan’ program in elementary school

Deliana Dwi Hafsari (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia)
Fitri Nuraeni (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia)
Afridha Laily Alindra (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia)

Indonesian Journal of Educational Management and Leadership
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): In Progress

Purpose – Environmental issues increasingly demand character-based education from an early age, yet the affective dimension of ecological literacy covering attitudes, sensitivity, and willingness to act remains understudied compared to its cognitive counterpart. This study aims to analyze the affective dimension of ecological literacy and to describe the achievement of each indicator among elementary school students during the implementation of the TdBA Program. Method – This study employed a quantitative approach with a descriptive method and survey design, supported by triangulation. Data were collected from 100 fifth-grade students purposively from three elementary schools in Purwakarta Regency (SDN 2 Sindangkasih, n = 30; SDN 1 Nagrikidul, n = 40; SD Labschool UPI, n = 30), using an adapted, validated, and reliable Children’s Environmental Affect Scale (13 items across 3 indicators, Cronbach’s α = .909). Data were analyzed using descriptive percentage analysis. The instrument used was an adaptation of the Children's Environmental Affect Scale (CEAS), which had been tested for validity and reliability. Findings – The research results show that the affective dimension of students’ ecological literacy as a whole falls into the “Very High” category (81,19%). By indicator, both Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Sensitivity were categorized as Very High, while Willingness to Take Action was categorized as High. The highest achievement was found in students' conviction regarding the importance of preserving natural resources, while the greatest challenge lay in the transfer of ecological behavior from school to the home environment. Conclusion – The TdBA program has proven effective in internalizing ecological values as part of students' daily character, rather than mere knowledge. These findings affirm that local wisdom-based environmental education holds significant potential as a contextual and meaningful model for ecological literacy development at the elementary school level to sustain long-term pro-environmental behavior.