Environmental Education Implementation in Indramayu Vocational Schools: Lessons Learned from a Structure–Agency Perspective

¹ Environmental Science Doctoral Program, Postgraduate School, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
² Center for Environment and Sustainability Science, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
³ West Java Provincial Government, Bandung, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study examines how environmental awareness is internalised through Environmental Education (EE) practices in vocational secondary schools in Indramayu Regency, West Java, Indonesia, using Giddens’ theory of the duality of structure as an analytical lens. A mixed-methods case study was conducted in two vocational schools implementing EE as local curriculum content at different grade levels. Quantitative data were collected through Likert-scale surveys (n = 202 students), complemented by interviews, classroom observations, and qualitative coding using ATLAS.ti. The findings indicate that EE implementation is largely shaped by institutional routines, administrative demands, and Adiwiyata programme indicators, which prioritise environmental aesthetics, documentation, and behavioural compliance. While students demonstrate basic ecological understanding, opportunities for reflective, dialogic, and participatory internalisation of environmental values remain limited. Differences between schools reveal how local context and pedagogical authority influence students’ meaning-making processes and perceptions of EE relevance. This study contributes to environmental education research by conceptualising environmental awareness as a socially constructed outcome of continuous interaction between structure and agency, rather than as a direct result of curriculum delivery. The findings highlight the need for more contextual, dialogic, and transformative eco-pedagogical approaches to strengthen the depth and sustainability of environmental awareness in vocational education settings.