Promoting Environmental Awareness and Factors Affecting the Success of EESD Schools in Thailand for Sustainable Development
Keywords:
Environmental awareness, EESD schools, Sustainable development, Factors influencing successAbstract
This study investigates the role of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development (EESD) in promoting environmental awareness and advancing sustainable development within Thai educational institutions. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with seven school administrators, supported by document analysis and a synthesis of relevant literature. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors contributing to the success of EESD schools in Thailand. The article is organized into five sections: the Introduction emphasizes the importance of education in addressing sustainability
challenges; the Environmental Education for Sustainable Development section establishes the theoretical and conceptual foundations of EESD; the EESD Schools section traces the global and national evolution of EESD implementation; the Factors
Affecting the Success of EESD Schools identifies four key drivers of effectiveness: (1) Clear Vision to Action, highlighting visionary leadership; (2) Essential Mechanisms for Driving Educational Excellence, underscoring the role of experiential and participatory teaching; (3) Combined Efforts and Shared Resources, reflecting collaborative and efficient school management; and (4) Environmental
Awareness in the Hearts of Youth, demonstrating the impact of EESD on student behavior and values. The findings reveal that EESD significantly fosters environmental consciousness and sustainable behaviors among students. Successful implementation
relies on strategic leadership, integrated pedagogical approaches, collaborative resource management, and active community involvement. The Implications and Future Research section offers policy recommendations for strengthening the Whole
School Approach and enhancing school-community collaboration, while also calling for future studies to assess the long-term impacts of EESD programs. This research highlights the transformative power of education in cultivating environmental stewardship and underscores the pivotal role of schools as agents of sustainable development in Thailand.
References
Abbas, J., & Khan, S. M. (2023). Green knowledge management and organizational green culture: an interaction for
organizational green innovation and green performance. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(7), 1852-1870.
Agus, E., & Ali, K. (2022). Environmental education for high school and vocational school of Muhammadiyah City
of Medan based on Islam. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute-Journal (BIRCI-Journal),
(1), 930-937.
Al Mamun, M. A., Lawrie, G., & Wright, T. (2020). Instructional design of scaffolded online learning modules for
self-directed and inquiry-based learning environments. Computers & Education, 144, 103695.
Althnayan, S., Alarifi, A., Bajaba, S., & Alsabban, A. (2022). Linking environmental transformational leadership,
environmental organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational sustainability performance: A moderated
mediation model. Sustainability, 14(14), 8779.
Amnuaylojaroen, T., Parasin, N., & Limsakul, A. (2022). Health risk assessment of exposure near-future PM2.5 in Northern Thailand. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 15(11), 1963-1979.
Anand, M. (2023). An Evaluative Study of the B. Ed. Curricula Operative in Universities with Specific Reference
to Environmental Education. Journal of Teacher Education and Research, 18(1), 11-17.
Avazov, S., Saydamatov, F., & Allaberganov, X. (2019). Analyzing the concepts of “environmental education” and “environmental studies”. Bulletin of Gulistan State University, 2019(2), 56-60.
Bailey, L. H. (2019). The Liberty Hyde Bailey Gardener's Companion. In Stempien, J. A., & Linstrom, J. (Eds.), The Liberty Hyde Bailey Gardener's Companion. NY: Cornell University Press.
Bennett, J. W. (2019). Ecosystems, environmentalism, resource conservation, and anthropological research. In
Moran, E. F., & Lees, S. H. The ecosystem concept in anthropology (pp. 289-310). NY: Routledge.
Berchin, I. I., de Aguiar Dutra, A. R., & Guerra, J. B. S. O. D. A. (2021). How do higher education institutions promote sustainable development? A literature review. Sustainable Development, 29(6), 1204-1222.
Brodie, R. (2017). Experiences of secondary school teachers, students, and administrators in one exemplary EcoSchool: A description of successful practices and challenges (Master thesis). Brock University. Canada.
ChooChuay, C., Pongpiachan, S., Tipmanee, D., Suttinun, O., Deelaman, W., Wang, Q., ... & Cao, J. (2020). Impacts
of PM2. 5 sources on variations in particulate chemical compounds in ambient air of Bangkok, Thailand. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 11(9), 1657-1667.
Comstock, A. B. (2020). The Comstocks of Cornell—The Definitive Autobiography. In Penders st. clair, K. The
Comstocks of Cornell—The Definitive Autobiography. NY: Cornell University Press.
Department of Environmental Quality Promotion. (n.d.). Guidelines for operating eco-schools. Thailand: DEQP.
Derman, M., & Gurbuz, H. (2018). Environmental education in the science curriculum in different countries: Turkey,
Australia, Singapore, Ireland, and Canada. Journal of Education in Science Environment and Health, 4(2), 129-141.
El-Batri, B., Alami, A., Zaki, M., & Nafidi, Y. (2019). Extracurricular environmental activities in Moroccan middle schools: Opportunities and challenges to promoting effective environmental education. European Journal of Educational Research, 8(4), 1013-1028.
Gough, A. (2020). Environmental/sustainability education in a global context: Stories of political and disciplinary
resistances. In Lee, C. J. K., & Gough, N. Transnational Education and Curriculum Studies (pp. 99-113). London: Routledge.
Hornbeck, R. (2020). Dust Bowl Migrants: Identifying an Archetype (No. w27656). US: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Join, N. A. E. E. (2021). National Association for Environmental Education (UK). Environmental Education, 127.
King, C., Gorfinkiel, D., & Frick, M. (2021). International comparisons of school-level geoscience education–the
UNESCO/IGEO expert opinion survey. International Journal of Science Education, 43(1), 56-78.
Kladsomboon, S., Jaiyen, C., Choprathumma, C., Tusai, T., & Apilux, A. (2020). Heavy metals contamination in soil, surface water, crops, and resident blood in Uthai District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand. environmental geochemistry and health, 42, 545-561.
Lysgaard, J. G., Larsen, N., & Læssøe, J. (2015). Green flag eco-schools and the challenge of moving forward. Responsible Living: Concepts, Education and Future Perspectives, 135-150.
Marques, R., & Xavier, C. R. (2020). The challenges and difficulties of teachers in the insertion and practice of environmental education in the school curriculum. International Journal on Social and Education Sciences, 2(1), 49-56.
Maurer, M., & Bogner, F. X. (2022). Green awareness in action of saving energy in school life: Modeling environmental
literacy in theory and practice experience. In Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (pp. 3531-3556). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Montrie, C. (2018). The myth of silent spring. California: University of California Press.
National Economics and Social Development Council. (2018). National Strategy 2018 – 2037. Thailand: NESDC.
Novitasari, D., Hidayat, S., Puruhito, D. D., Arruzi, R. K., Aliyah, F., & Mahfud, A. (2019, October). An Efforts to Maintain the Sustainability of Renewable Energy System in Rural Area through Green School Education Model. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 353, No. 1, p. 012051). UK: IOP Publishing.
Nuriddinovna, K. S., & Meliyevna, P. N. (2022). Characteristics of environmental education issues in Avesto. International
Journal of Discoveries and Innovations in Applied Sciences, 2(2), 69-72.
Office of the Basic Education Commission. (2021). School Standards Evaluation Criteria Manual Environmental
education for sustainable development. Thailand: OBEC.
Office of the Basic Education Commission. (2022). Standard Assessment Guide of Environmental Education School
for Sustainable Development. Thailand: OBEC.
Office of the Education Council. (2017). National Education Plan 2017 – 2036. Thailand: ONEC.
Poungparn, S., Komiyama, A., Umnouysin, S., Rodtassana, C., Sangtiean, T., Maknual, C., ... & Kato, S. (2020).
Ten-year estimation of net primary productivity in a mangrove forest under a tropical monsoon climate in
eastern Thailand: Significance of the temperature environment in the dry season. Forests, 11(9), 987.
Prasetiyo, W. H., Ishak, N. A., Basit, A., Dewantara, J. A., Hidayat, O. T., Casmana, A. R., & Muhibbin, A. (2020). Caring for the environment in an inclusive school: The Adiwiyata Green School program in Indonesia. Issues in Educational Research, 30(3), 1040-1057.
Sahoo, S., Kumar, A., & Upadhyay, A. (2023). How do green knowledge management and green technology innovation
impact corporate environmental performance? Understanding the role of green knowledge acquisition. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(1), 551-569.
Saputra, A. R. P. (2023). The influence of green shared vision, education and training, and green recruitment, on
organizational citizenship behavior for environment in elementary schools in Indonesia. Journal of Management and Business Education. Scalabrino, C., Navarrete Salvador, A., & Oliva Martínez,
J. M. (2022). A theoretical framework to address education for sustainability for an earlier transition to a just, low carbon and circular economy. Environmental Education Research, 1-27.
Shutaleva, A., Nikonova, Z., Savchenko, I., & Martyushev, N. (2020). Environmental education for sustainable development in Russia. Sustainability, 12(18), 7742.
Sirithian, D., & Thanatrakolsri, P. (2022). Relationships between meteorological and particulate matter concentrations (pm2. 5 and pm10) during the haze period in urban and rural areas, northern Thailand. Air, Soil and Water Research, 15, 11786221221117264.
Taweesup, P., Boonpoo, S., & Chaisuk, P. (2023). TVET Management Model According to Buddhist Principle in the Disruptive Technology Era. Panna Panithan Journal, 8(1), 1-14.
Warju, W., Ariyanto, S., & Muzaki, L. (2018, July). Developing integrated curriculum with environmental education at
vocational high school. In International Conference on Indonesian Technical Vocational Education and Association (APTEKINDO 2018). Indonesia.
Wattanasettanukul, P., Srisuk, C., Panthongs, W., Peerachaipawong, N. & Sinjindawong, S. (2022). Current and Desirable
Conditions of Environmental Education for Sustainnable Development school (Eco-school) Under the Scondary
Educational Service Area Office Bankok 2. Journal of Environmental Management, 18(2), 78-95.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Multidisciplinary in Social Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
