Language, land, and learning: Teaching through an ecopedagogical lens in rural Aceh classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61251/cej.v4i2.388Keywords:
Post-conflict, Ecopedagogy, English teaching, rural education, environmentAbstract
Penelitian studi kasus kualitatif ini mengeksplorasi integrasi prinsip ekopedagogi dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggris di pedesaan Aceh, Indonesia. Fokus penelitian ini adalah pengalaman guru dan siswa dalam mengaitkan tema lingkungan serta budaya lokal dengan pembelajaran bahasa Inggris, persepsi mereka terhadap praktik tersebut, dan tantangan yang muncul dalam pelaksanaannya. Data dikumpulkan melalui observasi kelas dan wawancara semi-terstruktur dengan delapan guru dari SMP Negeri 1 Peukan Bada, SMP Negeri 1 Lhong Raya, SMP Negeri 1 Kuta Cot Glie, dan SMP Negeri 2 Muara Tiga, Pidie, masing-masing dua guru dari setiap sekolah. Data juga diperkuat melalui analisis dokumen sebagai bentuk triangulasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa guru memiliki antusiasme untuk menghubungkan pembelajaran bahasa Inggris dengan realitas lokal siswa. Namun, integrasi ekopedagogi masih bersifat permukaan, terutama terbatas pada penulisan deskriptif dan pengenalan kosakata tentang lingkungan, desa, atau kehidupan sehari-hari. Pembahasan yang lebih kritis, seperti diskusi masalah ekologis dan pemecahan masalah lingkungan, masih jarang dilakukan. Hambatan utama meliputi kurangnya bahan ajar kontekstual, keterbatasan waktu, dan rendahnya kepercayaan diri guru dalam membahas topik kompleks menggunakan bahasa Inggris. Meskipun demikian, guru menilai pendekatan ini mampu meningkatkan keterlibatan siswa dan menumbuhkan kebanggaan terhadap lingkungan lokal. Studi ini menegaskan perlunya dukungan sistemik berupa pengembangan bahan ajar lokal dan pelatihan guru agar integrasi bahasa, lingkungan, dan pembelajaran dapat berlangsung lebih bermakna.
This qualitative case study explores the integration of ecopedagogical principles in English language teaching in rural Aceh, Indonesia. Focusing on both teachers’ and students’ experiences, the research investigates how environmental and local cultural themes are woven into English lessons, the perceptions of these practices, and the challenges encountered in their implementation. Data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with 8 teachers SMP Negeri 1 Peukan Bada, SMP Negeri 1 Lhong Raya, SMP Negeri 1 Kuta Cot Glie, and SMP Negeri 2 Muara Tiga, Pidie, (2 teachers from each school) with findings triangulated by document analysis. Results show that while teachers express enthusiasm for connecting English learning to local realities, such integration remains mostly superficial—limited to descriptive writing or vocabulary related to the environment or village life. Deeper engagement, such as critical discussion or problem-solving about ecological issues, is rare due to a lack of contextually relevant materials, time constraints, and limited teacher confidence in discussing complex topics in English. Teachers perceive the approach as beneficial for student engagement and local pride, but structural limitations, such as curriculum demands and textbook content, hinder sustained implementation. The study highlights the need for systemic support, including the development of locally relevant teaching resources and ongoing professional development. By documenting these complex classroom realities, the research addresses a gap in the literature on ecopedagogical English teaching in underexplored rural Indonesian contexts and calls for coordinated educational reforms to foster meaningful integration of language, land, and learning.
References
Akbana, Y. E., & Yavuz, A. (2022). Global issues in a series of EFL textbooks and implications for end-users to promote peace education through teaching english. Journal of Peace Education, 19(3), 373–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2022.2140403
Astawa, N. L. P. N. S. P., Artini, L. P., & Nitiasih, P. K. (2017). Project-based learning activities and efl students’ productive skills in english. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(6), 1147–1155. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0806.16
Beer, T., Rixon, T., Garrett, I., & Goh, A. (2024). Embedding ecoscenography into performance design pedagogy: Three practice-based approaches. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 15(3), 472–494. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2024.2345609
Contreras-Ameduri, C. (2025). Avian ecopedagogies: Women ornithologists and environmental education in late nineteenth-century America. Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses, 42, 73–94. https://doi.org/10.14198/raei.25702
Escaño, C., & Mañero, J. (2022). Postdigital intercreative pedagogies: Ecopedagogical practices for the commons. In Postdigital Science and Education (Switzerland): Vol. Part F3828 (pp. 231–246). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97262-2_12
Gani, S., Razali, R., & Burhansyah, B. (2023). Promoting sustainability and conservation practices through environmental education in Aceh, Indonesia. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 18(3), 1174–1184. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2023.18.3.1186
Gede, I. (2021). Interactive multimedia based on articulate storylines in the topic of plant anatomy and physiology. In International Journal of Elementary Education (Vol. 6).
Girak, S., Lummis, G. W., & Johnson, J. (2019). Creative reuse: The impact artmaking has on raising environmental consciousness. International Journal of Education Through Art, 15(3), 369–385. https://doi.org/10.1386/eta_00009_1
Hargreaves, E., Quick, L., & Buchanan, D. (2023). National curriculum and assessment in England and the continuing narrowed experiences of lower-attainers in primary schools. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 55(5), 545–561. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2023.2253455
Hasrina, N., Yanti, L. A., & Kamarullah, K. (2024). Integrating environmental themes into english language teaching: Current practices and future strategies. Journal on Education, 7(2), 9455–9465. https://doi.org/10.31004/joe.v7i2.7906
Hung, R. (2014). In search of ecopedagogy: Emplacing nature in the light of Proust and Thoreau. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 46(13), 1387–1401. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2014.914874
Kazazoglu, S. (2025). Environmental education through eco-literacy: Integrating sustainability into English language teaching. Sustainability (Switzerland), 17(5), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052156
Lorenz, E., Krulatz, A., & Torgersen, E. N. (2021). Embracing linguistic and cultural diversity in multilingual EAL classrooms: The impact of professional development on teacher beliefs and practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 105, 103428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103428
McIntosh, S., & Feltrin, A. N. (2024). Dismantling human supremacy ecopedagogy and self-rewilding as pathways to embodied ethics and cross-species solidarity. Relations. Beyond Anthropocentrism, 12(2), 97–117. https://doi.org/10.7358/rela-2024-02-mcfe
Mearns, T., & Platteel, T. (2021). Exploring teacher support for a content and language integrated modern languages curriculum. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 34(3), 207–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1809665
Misiaszek, G. W. (2020). Will we learn from covid-19? Ecopedagogical calling (un)heard. Knowledge Cultures, 8(3), 28–33. https://doi.org/10.22381/KC8320204
Misiaszek, G. W. (2022). Ecopedagogy: Critical environmental pedagogies to disrupt falsely touted sustainable development. In A. A. Abdi & G. W. Misiaszek (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook on critical theories of education (pp. 301–317). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86343-2_17
Moriarty, S. (2025). Emancipatory didacticism and the environmental picturebooks of Oliver Jeffers. Children’s Literature in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-024-09603-w
Peters, M. A., & Green, B. (2021). Ecological civilizationalism: Greater educational cooperation and sustainable development under the BRI. Beijing International Review of Education, 3(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1163/25902539-03010001
Ratriyana, I. N. (2023). Why they do not care? Exploring young Indonesians’ low participation in proenvironmental activities. Asian Education and Development Studies, 12(4–5), 310–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-03-2023-0029
Saifulloh, A. I., Retnaningdyah, P., Mustofa, A., & Suhartono. (2025). Theoretical praxis in environmental education within EFL contexts. Prapanca International Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 1(1), 1–14.
Santos, G., Santos, D. S., & da Silva, M. P. (2021). Language, social world and spirit of nature: A discoursive proposal for (re)connection from the critical aquilombagem approach. Cadernos de Linguagem e Sociedade, 22(1), 67–78. https://doi.org/10.26512/les.v22i1.32545
Silvhiany, S., Rahmadhani, S., Inderawati, R., Meilinda, M., & Trilestari, K. (2023). Integrating climate change into english language teaching: A survey of indonesian teachers’ preparedness and perspectives. VELES (Voices of English Language Education Society), 7(3), 801–815. https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v7i3.24232
Thompson, G., & McKinley, J. (2018). Integration of content and language learning. The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching, December 2017, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0634
Tuparevska, E. (2023). Learning in nature: An amplified human rights-based framework. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 55(10), 1159–1169. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2035721
Zein, S., & Hamied, F. A. (2025). Introduction to the routledge international handbook of english language education in Indonesia. In The Routledge International Handbook of English Language Education in Indonesia (pp. 1–18). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003399308-1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Moriyanti Moriyanti, Endah Anisa Rahma, Nyak Mutia Ismail
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The journal's license is under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
