Teachers’ Integration of Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development Practices

The study aimed to determine the relationship between teachers’ integration of environmental awareness and level of sustainable development practices of selected public high schools in the First District of Oriental Mindoro. Using the descriptive correlational and comparative studies, the questionnaires were distributed to 384 students. The study found out that the teachers integrated environmental awareness topics on waste management, pollution, forest conservation and climate change on their class lessons; the schools were practicing proper waste disposal, recycling, composting, tree planting and energy conservation for sustainable development practices. Teachers’ integration of environmental awareness influences sustainable development practices. This integration and practices can be enhanced by reaching out to communities outside the school and by strengthening the established linkages to other environment-related agencies in order to achieve sustainability. It means amplifying by extending sustainable practices as collaborative effort of the students, schools, outside communities, LGU’s and other related government and nongovernment agencies. Such interaction can improve the quality and coverage of sustainable practices not only in school but in the whole community.

Keywords – environmental awareness, sustainable development practices, public high schools, Oriental Mindoro