Nurita Apridiana Lestari, Febiana Dinda Puspita, Afif Jauhari, Utama Alan Deta, Eko Hariyono, Madlazim
Climate change presents an urgent global challenge with wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, public health, the economy, and social systems. Education is critical in fostering climate literacy, building adaptive capacity, and reducing vulnerability to climate-related disasters. This study investigates the effectiveness of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) project-based learning integrated with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in enhancing students’ understanding of climate change. Conducted as a quantitative experimental study without a control group, the research focused on measuring the direct impact of the intervention. Pre-test results indicated that most students scored below the minimum competency threshold (<70), highlighting limited prior knowledge of the human contributions to global warming. Post-intervention scores significantly improved, particularly among students in the PFI, PFA, and PFB classes, where average scores reached the 80-90 range. The findings demonstrate that STEAM project-based learning effectively increases students’ climate awareness and promotes their role as active agents of change, including in exploring local renewable energy sources such as wind power in Indonesia. Moreover, this approach contributes to achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action) while supporting gender equity in STEM education. © 2026 Author(s)
Doctoral Program of Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Physics Education Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia; Physics Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
