Environmental Action-Based Learning for Sustainability Competencies: EMKONTAN Model on Environmental Literacy, Creative Thinking, and Collaboration among Pre-Service Biology Teachers

Nurwidodo Nurwidodo; Iin Hindun; Husamah Husamah

doi:10.12688/f1000research.181913.1

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Research Article

Environmental Action-Based Learning for Sustainability Competencies: EMKONTAN Model on Environmental Literacy, Creative Thinking, and Collaboration among Pre-Service Biology Teachers

[version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Nurwidodo Nurwidodo ¹, Iin Hindun¹, Husamah Husamah¹

PUBLISHED 22 May 2026

Author details Author details

¹ Biology Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang, East Java, 65144, Indonesia

Nurwidodo Nurwidodo
Roles: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

Iin Hindun
Roles: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Methodology, Resources, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

Husamah Husamah
Roles: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

OPEN PEER REVIEW

REVIEWER STATUS

Abstract

Background

Sustainability transitions require educators who can translate environmental knowledge into creative, collaborative, and action-oriented learning. This study examined the effectiveness of the Environmental Mapping, Conservation, Action, and Evaluation learning model (EMKONTAN) in strengthening environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration skills among pre-service biology teachers.

Methods

A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design was implemented in an environmental science course involving three learning conditions: EMKONTAN, problem-based learning, and regular instruction. Of 120 eligible students, 108 students with complete pretest and posttest data were included in the analysis. Environmental literacy was measured using an adapted environmental literacy instrument, creative thinking through essay-based tasks, and collaboration through an observation rubric. One-way analysis of covariance was used to compare adjusted posttest means after controlling for pretest scores, followed by least significant difference post hoc testing.

Results

The EMKONTAN group achieved the highest adjusted means for environmental literacy (76.30), creative thinking (96.18), and collaboration (78.89). The learning model had statistically significant effects on environmental literacy, F(2,104) = 126.54, p < .001, partial eta squared = .709; creative thinking, F(2,104) = 274.51, p < .001, partial eta squared = .841; and collaboration, F(2,104) = 161.33, p < .001, partial eta squared = .756.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that an environmental action-based learning cycle that integrates problem identification, field observation, action planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and follow-up can support sustainability competencies in teacher education. The study contributes a contextual instructional model for preparing future biology teachers to design participatory environmental learning in developing-country higher education settings.

Keywords

Action-based learning, collaboration skills, creative thinking, environmental literacy, pre-service biology teachers, sustainability education, teacher education

Corresponding author: Nurwidodo Nurwidodo

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

Grant information: The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.

Copyright: © 2026 Nurwidodo N et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite: Nurwidodo N, Hindun I and Husamah H. Environmental Action-Based Learning for Sustainability Competencies: EMKONTAN Model on Environmental Literacy, Creative Thinking, and Collaboration among Pre-Service Biology Teachers [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]. F1000Research 2026, 15:777 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.181913.1) First published: 22 May 2026, 15:777 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.181913.1) Latest published: 22 May 2026, 15:777 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.181913.1)

Introduction

Environmental degradation, climate change, biodiversity decline, waste generation, and resource depletion increasingly demand educational responses that are not limited to knowledge transmission.^1–6 Higher education institutions, especially teacher education programs, are expected to prepare graduates who can interpret environmental problems, design responsible actions, and guide learners toward sustainable practices.^7–9 In biology teacher education, this expectation is especially important because future teachers will mediate scientific knowledge, environmental values, and pro-environmental behavior among school students.^10–14

Sustainability education therefore requires the integration of environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration. Environmental literacy enables learners to understand ecological systems, evaluate environmental issues, and make informed decisions.^15,16Creative thinking supports the generation of alternative solutions when environmental problems are complex, contextual, and uncertain.^17,18 Collaboration is equally essential because most sustainability challenges cannot be solved through isolated individual action.^19,20 Together, these competencies align with the educational dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals and with the broader agenda of preparing citizens who can participate in sustainability transitions.

However, university environmental science courses are often still dominated by lectures, textbook-based tasks, and assessment formats that emphasize factual mastery. Such approaches may improve conceptual familiarity, but they are less likely to cultivate authentic inquiry, field-based sensitivity, collective responsibility, and action competence.^21–25 Problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely used to situate learning around real problems, yet PBL is not always explicitly connected to environmental mapping, conservation-oriented action, monitoring, and follow-up programs.^26,27This creates a pedagogical gap: sustainability-oriented teacher education needs a learning model that combines problem inquiry with concrete environmental action and reflective continuity.

The EMKONTAN model was developed to address this gap. In this study, EMKONTAN refers to an environmental action-based learning cycle consisting of socialization and problem identification, campus environmental observation and data collection, action planning with conservation integration, action implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and follow-up through student creativity programs. The model is designed to move students from awareness to evidence-based analysis, from analysis to collective action, and from action to reflection and continuation.^28–32 This makes it suitable for sustainability education because it links scientific understanding with situated practice and social participation.

The present study aimed to test whether EMKONTAN is more effective than PBL and regular instruction in improving environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration among pre-service biology teachers. The study tested three hypotheses: H1, students taught through EMKONTAN achieve higher environmental literacy than students taught through PBL and regular instruction after controlling for pretest scores; H2, students taught through EMKONTAN achieve higher creative thinking than students in the comparison groups; and H3, students taught through EMKONTAN achieve higher collaboration skills than students in the comparison groups. The study contributes empirical evidence on action-based sustainability learning in Indonesian higher education and provides an instructional model that can be adapted in biology teacher education programs.

Methods

Research design

This study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design ( Table 1). Three intact classes were assigned to different learning conditions: an experimental class taught using EMKONTAN, a positive control class taught using PBL, and a negative control class taught using regular instruction. Pretests were administered before the intervention and posttests were administered after the learning sequence using comparable instruments for each outcome. The design was selected because the study was conducted in authentic university classes where random assignment of individual students was not feasible.

Table 1. Quasi-experimental research design.

Group	Pretest	Learning treatment	Posttest
Experimental group	O1	EMKONTAN environmental action-based learning	O2
Positive control group	O3	Problem-based learning	O4
Negative control group	O5	Regular instruction	O6

Participants and setting

The study was conducted in an environmental science course for pre-service biology teachers in East Java, Indonesia. The eligible population consisted of 120 students enrolled in the relevant course. Before data collection, all participants were informed about the purpose of the study, the learning activities involved, the type of data to be collected, the voluntary nature of participation, and their right to withdraw from the study at any stage without academic penalty. Written informed consent for participation in the research was obtained from all participants before the pretest was administered. No minors were involved in this study. After data screening, 108 students with complete pretest and posttest records across the measured variables were included in the final analysis. The use of complete-case analysis explains the difference between the number of eligible students and the statistical N reported in the results.

Learning treatments

The EMKONTAN class followed a six-stage environmental action cycle ( Table 2). Students first discussed the learning steps and identified environmental problems around the campus. They then conducted field observation and collected environmental data based on environmental maps. In the third stage, students prepared action plans and explored opportunities for conservation integration. The fourth stage required students to implement actions collaboratively, document the process, and produce project portfolios. The fifth stage involved monitoring, evaluation, presentation, and reflection. Finally, students designed follow-up activities that could be developed into student creativity programs related to environmental science topics.

Table 2. Operational syntax of the EMKONTAN learning model.

No.	EMKONTAN phase	Lecturer role	Student activity
1	Socialization and environmental problem identification	Introduces the learning steps, facilitates the selection of relevant environmental issues, and poses essential questions.	Express ideas, identify campus environmental problems, and map possible solutions.
2	Observation and environmental data collection	Guides collaborative field observation and data collection based on environmental maps.	Conduct observation, collect data, and document environmental conditions.
3	Action planning and conservation integration	Facilitates action planning and links solutions to conservation values.	Select solution strategies, prepare schedules, and formulate conservation-oriented action plans.
4	Action implementation	Monitors student action, provides guidance, and records important learning activities.	Implement environmental actions collaboratively and prepare project portfolios.
5	Monitoring and evaluation	Assesses process and product achievement and evaluates sustainability potential.	Present group outputs, written reports, and project products.
6	Follow-up program	Guides students in planning continuity through student creativity programs.	Prepare follow-up programs based on environmental science topics.

The PBL class learned through problem scenarios, group discussion, information search, and solution presentation. The regular instruction class used conventional learning activities based on explanation, textbook use, and individual assignments. The comparison was intended to determine whether the added features of environmental mapping, action implementation, monitoring, and follow-up in EMKONTAN produced stronger outcomes than a general problem-oriented approach and regular instruction.

Instruments

The research instruments and measured indicators are summarized in Table 3. Environmental literacy was measured using an adapted environmental literacy instrument based on dimensions of ecological knowledge, issue investigation and analysis, environmental sensitivity, and pro-environmental behavior. Creative thinking was measured through essay-based tasks assessed using indicators of curiosity, fluency, originality, flexibility, elaboration, and divergent thinking. Collaboration skills were evaluated using an observation rubric covering productive work, respect, compromise, and shared responsibility. The creative thinking and collaboration rubrics used a four-level scoring framework adapted from 21st-century skill assessment practices.

Table 3. Research instruments and measured indicators.

Outcome	Instrument	Main indicators	Score interpretation
Environmental literacy	Adapted environmental literacy instrument	Ecological knowledge, issue investigation, analysis, sensitivity, pro-environmental behavior	Higher score indicates stronger environmental literacy.
Creative thinking	Essay-based test with rubric	Curiosity, fluency, originality, flexibility, elaboration, divergent thinking	1 = beginner, 2 = basic, 3 = proficient, 4 = advanced.
Collaboration	Observation rubric	Productive work, respect, compromise, shared responsibility	1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good.

Data analysis

Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis. Normality was examined using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and homogeneity of variance was examined using Levene’s test. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare posttest outcomes among the three learning models while controlling for pretest scores. Least significant difference post hoc testing was used to identify pairwise differences in adjusted means. Statistical testing used a significance level of 0.05. Because the normality test indicated non-normal distributions and the collaboration variable showed unequal variance, the results should be interpreted with attention to the robustness of ANCOVA and, in future analysis, may be complemented by rank-based or robust covariance procedures.

Results

Assumption checks

The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicated that the pretest and posttest distributions for the measured variables were not normally distributed (p < .001) ( Table 4). Levene’s test showed that environmental literacy and creative thinking met the homogeneity assumption, whereas collaboration did not. These results suggest that the ANCOVA findings are informative but should be interpreted cautiously, particularly for collaboration. The complete-case sample used in the inferential analysis was N = 108.

Table 4. Summary of homogeneity testing.

Variable	Levene F	df1	df2	p-value	Interpretation
Environmental literacy	2.521	2	105	.085	Homogeneous variance
Creative thinking	0.667	2	105	.516	Homogeneous variance
Collaboration	19.280	2	105	< .001	Variance heterogeneity

Environmental literacy

The learning model significantly affected environmental literacy after controlling for pretest scores, F(2,104) = 126.539, p < .001, partial eta squared = .709. The EMKONTAN group obtained the highest adjusted mean (76.301), followed by PBL (45.513) and regular instruction (42.852). The EMKONTAN group improved by 77.31%, whereas PBL showed a smaller increase of 9.54% and regular instruction showed a slight decline of 2.54%.

Creative thinking

The learning model also had a significant effect on creative thinking, F(2,104) = 274.512, p < .001, partial eta squared = .841. The EMKONTAN group achieved the highest adjusted mean (96.176), followed by PBL (81.939) and regular instruction (42.247). This pattern indicates that both problem-oriented learning and environmental action-based learning supported creative thinking, but the explicit action cycle in EMKONTAN produced the strongest result.

Collaboration skills

For collaboration skills, the learning model had a significant effect, F(2,104) = 161.325, p < .001, partial eta squared = .756. The adjusted mean for EMKONTAN was 78.89, compared with 46.19 for PBL and 16.12 for regular instruction ( Table 5). Although the homogeneity assumption was not met for this variable, the magnitude and consistency of the descriptive pattern suggest that EMKONTAN provided richer opportunities for shared responsibility, compromise, respectful interaction, and productive group work.

Table 5. Descriptive and adjusted outcome scores by learning model.

Outcome	Group	Pretest mean	Posttest mean	Adjusted mean	Post hoc notation	Gain
Environmental literacy	EMKONTAN	43.08	76.39	76.30	a	77.31%
	PBL	40.75	44.64	45.51	b	9.54%
	Regular	44.78	43.64	42.85	b	−2.54%
Creative thinking	EMKONTAN	35.22	96.36	96.18	a	173.58%
	PBL	45.50	81.75	81.94	b	79.67%
	Regular	40.22	42.25	42.25	c	5.04%
Collaboration	EMKONTAN	11.31	78.94	78.89	a	598.28%
	PBL	13.08	46.19	46.19	b	253.08%
	Regular	15.53	16.06	16.12	c	3.40%

To provide a clearer overview of the comparative effectiveness of the three learning models, the ANCOVA results are summarized in Table 6. The table presents the corrected model statistics, learning model effects, significance values, effect sizes, and explanatory power for each outcome variable. In addition, Figure 1 visualizes the ANCOVA-adjusted mean scores across the EMKONTAN, PBL, and regular learning groups, while Figure 2 displays the magnitude of the learning model effect based on partial eta squared values. Together, these three presentations provide complementary evidence regarding the statistical significance, practical strength, and comparative performance of the learning models in improving environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration.

Table 6. Summary of ANCOVA results.

Outcome	Corrected model F	Learning model F	p-value	Partial eta squared	R2	Adjusted R2
Environmental literacy	96.458	126.539	< .001	.709	.736	.728
Creative thinking	186.169	274.512	< .001	.841	.843	.838
Collaboration	127.249	161.325	< .001	.756	.786	.780

Figure 1. ANCOVA-adjusted posttest means across the three measured sustainability competencies.

Figure 2. Partial eta squared values for the effect of learning model on each outcome.

The ANCOVA results indicate that the learning model had a statistically significant effect on all three outcome variables: environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration. As shown in Table 6, the corrected model was significant for environmental literacy, F = 96.458, p < .001; creative thinking, F = 186.169, p < .001; and collaboration, F = 127.249, p < .001. These results confirm that, after controlling for pretest scores, the type of learning model contributed significantly to differences in students’ posttest performance across the three measured competencies.

More specifically, the learning model effect was significant for environmental literacy, F = 126.539, p < .001, with a partial eta squared value of .709. This indicates a very large effect, suggesting that 70.9% of the explainable variance in adjusted environmental literacy scores was associated with differences in the learning model. The model also explained a substantial proportion of variance, with R² = .736 and adjusted R² = .728. As illustrated in Figure 1, the EMKONTAN group obtained the highest ANCOVA-adjusted mean score for environmental literacy (76.3), followed by the PBL group (45.5) and the regular learning group (42.9). This pattern indicates that EMKONTAN was more effective than both comparison models in strengthening students’ environmental literacy.

A similar pattern was found for creative thinking. The effect of the learning model was statistically significant, F = 274.512, p < .001, with the largest effect size among the three outcomes, partial eta squared = .841. This means that 84.1% of the explainable variance in adjusted creative thinking scores was related to the learning model used. The overall model also showed strong explanatory power, with R² = .843 and adjusted R² = .838. The adjusted mean scores show that EMKONTAN produced the highest creative thinking score (96.2), followed by PBL (81.9), while regular learning resulted in a much lower score (42.2). These findings suggest that EMKONTAN was particularly powerful in developing students’ creative thinking, especially when compared with regular instruction.

For collaboration skills, the ANCOVA also revealed a significant learning model effect, F = 161.325, p < .001, with a large effect size, partial eta squared = .756. The model explained 78.6% of the variance in collaboration outcomes, with an adjusted R² of.780. The adjusted mean scores further demonstrate that EMKONTAN led to the highest collaboration performance (78.9), followed by PBL (46.2), while regular learning showed the lowest adjusted mean score (16.1). This result indicates that the structured stages of EMKONTAN, especially observation, environmental problem analysis, action planning, project implementation, monitoring, and follow-up activities, provided stronger opportunities for students to practice productive teamwork, shared responsibility, and collaborative problem solving.

The findings consistently show that EMKONTAN outperformed both PBL and regular learning across all measured outcomes. The largest effect was observed in creative thinking, followed by collaboration and environmental literacy. The high partial eta squared values and adjusted R² values indicate that the learning model was not only statistically significant but also practically meaningful. These results support the conclusion that EMKONTAN is an effective sustainability-oriented learning model for improving environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration among prospective biology teachers.

Discussion

The findings support all three hypotheses. EMKONTAN produced the strongest gains in environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration compared with PBL and regular instruction. The pattern suggests that sustainability competencies are more effectively developed when students engage in a complete learning cycle that begins with real environmental problems and proceeds toward action, monitoring, reflection, and follow-up. This is consistent with the premise that sustainability education must connect knowledge with situated problem solving and collective participation.^33–35

The strong effect on environmental literacy can be explained by the combination of observation, data collection, and action planning. Students did not only receive environmental concepts; they had to identify environmental problems in their surroundings, collect evidence, analyze possible causes, and formulate feasible solutions. Such activities likely strengthened the link between ecological knowledge, environmental sensitivity, and pro-environmental behavior. The EMKONTAN cycle therefore supported environmental literacy as an integrated competence rather than as isolated factual knowledge.

The effect on creative thinking was also substantial. Creativity in sustainability education is not merely the production of unusual ideas; it involves generating workable alternatives for complex and context-dependent problems.^17,36,37 EMKONTAN required students to develop action plans, adapt strategies to field conditions, explore conservation integration, and revise ideas during monitoring and evaluation. These activities are aligned with fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, and divergent thinking. The PBL group also improved, which confirms the value of problem-oriented learning, but EMKONTAN produced higher scores because students moved beyond discussion into concrete action and reflective continuation.

Collaboration showed the largest relative gain in the EMKONTAN class. This result is pedagogically meaningful because the model required students to divide roles, negotiate decisions, implement actions, document progress, present outputs, and respond to peer feedback. Collaboration was therefore embedded in the core task structure, not treated as an optional group arrangement. The contrast with regular instruction indicates that collaboration skills are difficult to develop when learning relies mainly on individual assignments and teacher-centered explanation.

The study also highlights the importance of aligning sustainability education with teacher preparation. Pre-service biology teachers need to experience environmental learning that they can later adapt for school contexts. By participating in environmental mapping, conservation-oriented action, and follow-up planning, students gained not only content knowledge but also an instructional repertoire for designing participatory environmental learning.^38–40 In this sense, EMKONTAN contributes to sustainability transitions through a teacher education pathway: strengthening the competencies of future teachers who may later influence students, schools, and communities.

Despite these strengths, several methodological limitations should be acknowledged. First, the quasi-experimental design used intact classes, so unmeasured class-level differences may have influenced the results. Second, 108 complete cases were analyzed from 120 eligible students, and the reasons for incomplete data should be documented more explicitly in future reports. Third, the normality assumption was not met and the collaboration variable showed heterogeneous variance. Future studies should report complementary robust or non-parametric covariance analyses, confidence intervals, and additional validity evidence for the instruments. Fourth, the study measured immediate post-intervention outcomes; long-term retention and transfer into school-based teaching practice remain open for investigation

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that EMKONTAN, an environmental action-based learning model, significantly improved environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration skills among pre-service biology teachers. Compared with PBL and regular instruction, EMKONTAN produced the highest adjusted posttest means and large effect sizes across all measured outcomes. The results indicate that sustainability competencies are strengthened when students are guided through a complete cycle of problem identification, environmental observation, action planning, action implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and follow-up program design. The model is therefore promising for biology teacher education and for higher education courses that aim to connect environmental science learning with sustainability-oriented practice.

Future research should replicate the study in different institutions, use randomized or matched designs where possible, apply robust statistical sensitivity tests, and examine whether EMKONTAN-trained pre-service teachers can transfer these competencies into teaching practice during field experience or school internships. Longitudinal studies are also needed to determine whether environmental literacy, creativity, and collaboration are sustained after the course ends.

Ethical considerations

The study involved human participants in an educational setting. Ethical approval was approved by Research Ethics Commission, Bureau of Research, Community Service, and Cooperation, University of Muhammadiyah Malang (approval number: E.5.b/119-RPK-UMM/IX/2025; date: 2 September 2025). Before data collection, all participants received information about the purpose of the study, the learning procedures, the data to be collected, confidentiality, voluntary participation, and the right to withdraw from the study at any time without academic consequences. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement in the study. No minors were involved in this research.

Data availability

The underlying data supporting the findings of this study are openly available in Zenodo at https://zenodo.org/records/20055341, with the DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20055341.⁴¹ This dataset includes the anonymized pretest and posttest scores for environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration skills; group allocation data for the EMKONTAN, problem-based learning, and regular instruction groups; the values used to calculate means, standard deviations, adjusted means, gain scores, ANCOVA results, and post hoc comparisons; and the data used to generate the figures and tables reported in this article. The extended data are openly available in Zenodo at https://zenodo.org/records/20055341 with the DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20055341.⁴¹ The extended data include the research instruments, scoring rubrics, learning treatment descriptions, and supporting materials required to understand and replicate the study procedures. Data are available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Reporting guidelines

Not applicable.

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia, for providing research facilities and technical assistance.

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38. Bezeljak P, Scheuch M, Torkar G: Understanding of sustainability and education for sustainable development among pre-service biology teachers. Sustainability. 2020; 12: 6892. Publisher Full Text
39. El-Aasar M, Shafik Z, Abou-Bakr D: Outdoor learning environment as a teaching tool for integrating education for sustainable development in kindergarten, Egypt. Ain Shams Eng J. 2024; 15: 102629. Publisher Full Text
40. Nurwidodo N, Hindun I, Nuryady MM: Integration of deep learning approach and EMKONTAN model to improve environmental literacy, creativity, and collaboration of students. Form J Ilm Pendidik MIPA. 2026; 16: 147–158.
41. Nurwidodo N, Hindun I, Husamah H: Suplementary material for "Environmental action-based learning for sustainability competencies: EMKONTAN model on environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration among pre-service biology teachers". Zenodo. 2026.

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Author details Author details

¹ Biology Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang, East Java, 65144, Indonesia

Nurwidodo Nurwidodo
Roles: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

Iin Hindun
Roles: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Methodology, Resources, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

Husamah Husamah
Roles: Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing

Competing interests

No competing interests were disclosed.

Grant information

The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.

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Published: 22 May 2026, 15:777

https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.181913.1

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Nurwidodo N, Hindun I and Husamah H. Environmental Action-Based Learning for Sustainability Competencies: EMKONTAN Model on Environmental Literacy, Creative Thinking, and Collaboration among Pre-Service Biology Teachers [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]. F1000Research 2026, 15:777 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.181913.1)

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PUBLISHED 22 May 2026

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Reviewer Report 03 Jun 2026

Nasrul Hakim, State Islamic Institute Metro, Metro, Indonesia

Approved

https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.200807.r488172

The PBL and regular instruction conditions should be described in enough detail to allow meaningful comparison.
Tables and figures are useful, but the text sometimes repeats the same numerical results. The authors could streamline the

The PBL and regular instruction conditions should be described in enough detail to allow meaningful comparison.
Tables and figures are useful, but the text sometimes repeats the same numerical results. The authors could streamline the Results section.
The Discussion should include a more balanced consideration of alternative explanations for the large observed effects.
The limitations section is helpful but should be strengthened and linked more directly to the interpretation of the results.

Recommendation
I recommend that the article undergo minor revision before approval. The manuscript addresses an important and timely topic and has potential value for sustainability education and biology teacher preparation. However, several presentation and reporting issues should be addressed to improve clarity, consistency, and readability. In particular, the authors should describe the PBL and regular instruction conditions in greater detail, streamline repeated numerical reporting in the Results section, provide a more balanced discussion of possible alternative explanations for the large observed effects, and strengthen the limitations section by linking it more explicitly to the interpretation and generalizability of the findings.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes
Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes
Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Partly
If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Yes
Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Partly
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

Reviewer Expertise: biology, sustainability

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

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6

Reviewer Report 02 Jun 2026

Ahmad Adnan Mohd Shukri, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Approved

https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.200807.r488173

1. The study directly addresses a pedagogical gap in sustainability education by introducing the EMKONTAN model, which is well-defined and systematically explained.
2. The quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest control groups provides credible comparative evidence. The inclusion of three groups (EMKONTAN, PBL, ... Continue reading

1. The study directly addresses a pedagogical gap in sustainability education by introducing the EMKONTAN model, which is well-defined and systematically explained.
2. The quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest control groups provides credible comparative evidence. The inclusion of three groups (EMKONTAN, PBL, and regular instruction) strengthens validity.
3. Environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration were measured using adapted, rubric-based instruments with clear indicators.
4. Results show large effect sizes (partial eta squared values above 0.70) indicating strong practical significance.
5. The study offers a contextual instructional model that can be adapted in teacher education programs, especially in developing countries.
6. TAKE NOTE: Only 108 of 120 students were analyzed. The reasons for missing data are not fully explained, which may raise questions about bias.
7. TAKE NOTE: Normality was not met, and collaboration showed heterogeneity of variance. While ANCOVA was applied, results should be interpreted cautiously. Suggestions: Justify why ANCOVA was still used (robustness in large samples, exploratory purpose). Highlight that despite assumption violations, the effect sizes were very large, which supports practical significance OR present sensitivity analyses (for example, compare ANCOVA with non-parametric results) to show consistency.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes
Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes
Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Yes
If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Yes
Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

Reviewer Expertise: STEM education; biology education; design and development research; challenge-based learning; computational thinking skills; creative thinking skills and styles; critical thinking skills and dispositions

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

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Version 1 22 May 26	read	read

Ahmad Adnan Mohd Shukri, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Nasrul Hakim, State Islamic Institute Metro, Metro, Indonesia

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Reviewer Report

5 Views

03 Jun 2026 | for Version 1

Nasrul Hakim, State Islamic Institute Metro, Metro, Indonesia

5 Views Cite this report Responses(0)

Approved

The PBL and regular instruction conditions should be described in enough detail to allow meaningful comparison.
Tables and figures are useful, but the text sometimes repeats the same numerical results. The authors could streamline the Results section.
The Discussion should include a more balanced consideration of alternative explanations for the large observed effects.
The limitations section is helpful but should be strengthened and linked more directly to the interpretation of the results.

Recommendation
I recommend that the article undergo minor revision before approval. The manuscript addresses an important and timely topic and has potential value for sustainability education and biology teacher preparation. However, several presentation and reporting issues should be addressed to improve clarity, consistency, and readability. In particular, the authors should describe the PBL and regular instruction conditions in greater detail, streamline repeated numerical reporting in the Results section, provide a more balanced discussion of possible alternative explanations for the large observed effects, and strengthen the limitations section by linking it more explicitly to the interpretation and generalizability of the findings.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes
Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes
Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Partly
If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Yes
Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Partly
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Competing Interests

No competing interests were disclosed.

Reviewer Expertise

biology, sustainability

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

Respond to this report

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Back to all reports

Reviewer Report

6 Views

02 Jun 2026 | for Version 1

Ahmad Adnan Mohd Shukri, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

6 Views Cite this report Responses(0)

Approved

1. The study directly addresses a pedagogical gap in sustainability education by introducing the EMKONTAN model, which is well-defined and systematically explained.
2. The quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest control groups provides credible comparative evidence. The inclusion of three groups (EMKONTAN, PBL, and regular instruction) strengthens validity.
3. Environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration were measured using adapted, rubric-based instruments with clear indicators.
4. Results show large effect sizes (partial eta squared values above 0.70) indicating strong practical significance.
5. The study offers a contextual instructional model that can be adapted in teacher education programs, especially in developing countries.
6. TAKE NOTE: Only 108 of 120 students were analyzed. The reasons for missing data are not fully explained, which may raise questions about bias.
7. TAKE NOTE: Normality was not met, and collaboration showed heterogeneity of variance. While ANCOVA was applied, results should be interpreted cautiously. Suggestions: Justify why ANCOVA was still used (robustness in large samples, exploratory purpose). Highlight that despite assumption violations, the effect sizes were very large, which supports practical significance OR present sensitivity analyses (for example, compare ANCOVA with non-parametric results) to show consistency.

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes
Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound?

Yes
Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Yes
If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Yes
Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Competing Interests

No competing interests were disclosed.

Reviewer Expertise

STEM education; biology education; design and development research; challenge-based learning; computational thinking skills; creative thinking skills and styles; critical thinking skills and dispositions

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

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[37] 37. Thornhill-Miller B, Camarda A, Mercier M, et al.: Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration: assessment, certification, and promotion of 21st century skills for the future of work and education. J Intell. 2023; 11: 11030054. Publisher Full Text

[38] 38. Bezeljak P, Scheuch M, Torkar G: Understanding of sustainability and education for sustainable development among pre-service biology teachers. Sustainability. 2020; 12: 6892. Publisher Full Text

[39] 39. El-Aasar M, Shafik Z, Abou-Bakr D: Outdoor learning environment as a teaching tool for integrating education for sustainable development in kindergarten, Egypt. Ain Shams Eng J. 2024; 15: 102629. Publisher Full Text

[40] 40. Nurwidodo N, Hindun I, Nuryady MM: Integration of deep learning approach and EMKONTAN model to improve environmental literacy, creativity, and collaboration of students. Form J Ilm Pendidik MIPA. 2026; 16: 147–158.

[41] 41. Nurwidodo N, Hindun I, Husamah H: Suplementary material for "Environmental action-based learning for sustainability competencies: EMKONTAN model on environmental literacy, creative thinking, and collaboration among pre-service biology teachers". Zenodo. 2026.

Environmental Action-Based Learning for Sustainability Competencies: EMKONTAN Model on Environmental Literacy, Creative Thinking, and Collaboration among Pre-Service Biology Teachers

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keywords

Introduction

Methods

Research design

Table 1. Quasi-experimental research design.

Participants and setting

Learning treatments

Table 2. Operational syntax of the EMKONTAN learning model.

Instruments

Table 3. Research instruments and measured indicators.

Data analysis

Results

Assumption checks

Table 4. Summary of homogeneity testing.

Environmental literacy

Creative thinking

Collaboration skills

Table 5. Descriptive and adjusted outcome scores by learning model.

Table 6. Summary of ANCOVA results.

Figure 1. ANCOVA-adjusted posttest means across the three measured sustainability competencies.

Figure 2. Partial eta squared values for the effect of learning model on each outcome.

Discussion

Conclusion

Ethical considerations

Data availability

Reporting guidelines

Acknowledgements

References

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