Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Elementary Education: Enhancing Educational Quality through Local Practices in Kalimantan

Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become a strategic agenda in global education, requiring schools to cultivate not only knowledge but also values, habits, and action competence for sustainability. In Indonesia, this agenda has strong entry points through the Adiwiyata framework and the Kurikulum Merdeka (including P5), yet implementation often varies and is frequently reduced to partial, activity-based efforts rather than whole-school transformation. A key problem is the implementation gap: sustainability routines may exist, but institutional alignment, time, and support systems can be insufficient to sustain consistent practice.  This study addresses that gap by examining SDN 1 Sanggu (Kalimantan) to identify how ESD is practiced in daily school life, what constrains it, and what feasible strengthening strategies can be applied.

This research contributes an empirically grounded, context-specific account of ESD practice and constraints in a non-urban elementary school setting. It also proposes low-burden institutionalization options aligned with whole-school ESD principles. A qualitative case study design was used at SDN 1 Sanggu, Kalimantan, with data collected in October–November 2025. Data were gathered through observations of classroom learning, projects, and school habits; semi-structured interviews with the principal, teachers, homeroom teacher, and committee/parents; FGDs with teacher and student groups; and documentation review (curriculum materials, teaching modules, school programs, and student artifacts).

A qualitative case study design was used at SDN 1 Sanggu, Kalimantan, with data collected in October–November 2025. Data were gathered through observations of classroom learning, projects, and school habits; semi-structured interviews with the principal, teachers, homeroom teacher, and committee/parents; FGDs with teacher and student groups; and documentation review (curriculum materials, teaching modules, school programs, and student artifacts).

Results show that school actors frame ESD as education beyond grades that builds care, clean living, frugality, and social coexistence. ESD is supported by active, hands-on pedagogy and daily routines such as class cleanliness duties and energy-saving reminders. However, ESD is still largely informal habituation rather than a structured written program, making consistency vulnerable. Major barriers include administrative workload, limited time, teacher fatigue, and infrastructure constraints that reduce innovation continuity. Sustainability behaviors such as waste sorting tend to revert without reinforcement; participants therefore recommend shared “three habits” rules and light monitoring (e.g., class points) supported by aligned teachers and clear scheduling. In conclusion, SDN 1 Sanggu appears pedagogically “ESD-ready,” but requires light institutional supports to stabilize routines and behavior change.