Internalization of Environmental Care Characters in Children from Marginal Villages Through Community-Based Education

Abstract

The problem of waste and environmental vulnerability in riverbank areas requires an educational response that is close to children's lives. This study aims to describe strategies for internalizing environmental awareness in elementary school children through community-based education in Ledhok Timoho Village. The study used a qualitative approach with an educational ethnography design. Data were obtained through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation with seven informants consisting of community coordinators, teaching volunteers, community leaders, and parents, as well as observations of children. Data validity was tested through triangulation of techniques and sources, while analysis was conducted using the Spradley model, which includes domain analysis, taxonomy, componential analysis, and cultural themes. The results showed that internalization occurs through three stages: participatory planning, experience-based implementation, and reflective evaluation. Gardening activities, waste management, community service, habituation, and volunteer role models connect moral knowledge, moral sensitivity, and moral action. Children not only understand the importance of protecting the environment but also demonstrate initiative by picking up trash, caring for plants, and reminding others around them. These findings confirm that community-based education can shape ecological character contextually when schools, families, and communities are consistently involved.