Examining The Opportunities Of ESQ-Oriented Problem Based Learning On Food Waste Issues In Enhancing Students' Sustainability Consciousness
Keywords:
Problem Based Learning (PBL), Emotional Spiritual Quotient (ESQ), food waste, sustainability consciousness, literasi sains, pembelajaran biologi
Abstract
The issue of food waste represents a global challenge with profound environmental, economic, and social consequences, serving as a barrier to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Indonesia, the high rate of food waste underscores the need for transformative educational strategies that cultivate students’ sustainability consciousness. While numerous studies have explored Problem-Based Learning (PBL) as an effective approach for developing critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, limited attention has been given to its potential for internalizing moral and spiritual values that drive sustainable behavior. This article addresses that gap by analyzing the potential of integrating Emotional Spiritual Quotient (ESQ)-oriented PBL to enhance sustainability awareness through the contextual issue of food waste. Using a integrative literature review of 25 key publications (2018–2025) from reputable databases and international reports, the findings reveal that ESQ integration within PBL enriches the affective and conative domains of learning by instilling values of responsibility, balance (mizan), and human stewardship (khalifa fil ardh).The main finding highlights that ESQ-based PBL promotes a holistic form of sustainability consciousness encompassing cognitive, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Educationally, this model offers an innovative and culturally relevant pedagogical framework for biology learning, empowering students to transform sustainability values into meaningful actions aligned with Indonesia’s moral and religious contexts.
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Saad, M. (2023). Emotional and spiritual quotient for sustainable education’s service quality. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(4), 2156–2164. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i4.25434
Savery, J. R. (2019). Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1002
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Ahmad, S., & Rahman, F. (2021). Implementation of emotional and spiritual quotient in Islamic religious education at senior high school. JICSA (Journal of Islamic Civilization in Southeast Asia), 10(2), 176–198. https://doi.org/10.24252/jicsa.v10i2.19504
Apriyoza, W., Ardi, C. A., & Shaar, S. A. (2025). Kontribusi ilmu biologi dalam membangun karakter Islami berdasarkan ajaran Al-Qur’an dan Sunnah. Al-Alam: Islamic Natural Science Journal, 6(1), 1–15. https://jurnal.iainambon.ac.id/index.php/JTI/article/view/8840
Baharuddin, A. (2020). Islam and environmental conservation: Lessons from the Quran and Sunnah. IIUM Press.
BAPPENAS. (2020). Metadata indikator SDGs edisi II. Kementerian PPN/BAPPENAS.
BAPPENAS. (2021). Food loss and waste in Indonesia. Kementerian PPN/BAPPENAS.
Barth, M., & Rieckmann, M. (2020). State of the art in research on higher education for sustainable development. In M. Barth, G. Michelsen, M. Rieckmann, & I. Thomas (Eds.), Routledge handbook of higher education for sustainable development (pp. 100–113). Routledge
.
Berglund, T., & Gericke, N. (2018). Exploring the role of the economy in young people's understanding of sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 24(12), 1739–1759. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1395394
Boeve-de Pauw, J., Gericke, N., Olsson, D., & Berglund, T. (2019). Students’ environmental and sustainability consciousness–A pathway model. Sustainability, 11(21), 6087. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11216087
Dochy, F., Segers, M., Van den Bossche, P., & Gijbels, D. (2019). Problem-based learning: Future challenges for educational practice and research. Routledge.
Dolmans, D. H., Loyens, S. M., Marcq, H., & Gijbels, D. (2016). Deep and surface learning in problem-based learning: A review of the literature. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 21(5), 1087–1112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-015-9645-6
Fadilah, M. (2023). Pengaruh Problem based learning terhadap Kemampuan Argumentasi Ilmiah Peserta Didik pada Materi Perubahan Lingkungan. Jurnal Bionatural.https://ejournal.uncm.ac.id/index.php/bio/article/download/622/493
FAO. (2019). The state of food and agriculture 2019: Moving forward on food loss and waste reduction. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca6030en
Foltz, R. C., Denny, F. M., & Baharuddin, A. (Eds.). (2018). Islam and ecology: A bestowed trust (Rev. ed.). Harvard University Press.
Gericke, N., Boeve-de Pauw, J., Berglund, T., & Olsson, D. (2019). Sustainability consciousness as an outcome of education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 25(4), 508–531. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1405767
Gulzar, Y., Eksili, N., Caylak, P. C., & Mir, M. S. (2023). Sustainability consciousness research trends: A bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 15(24), 16773. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416773
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2017). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235–266. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EDPR.0000034022.16470.f3
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Barrows, H. S. (2019). Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1812
Hosnan. (2020). Pendekatan saintifik dan kontekstual dalam pembelajaran abad 21. Ghalia Indonesia.
Kaza, S., Yao, L. C., Bhada-Tata, P., & Van Woerden, F. (2018). What a waste 2.0: A global snapshot of solid waste management to 2050. World Bank Publications.
Lufri. (2021). Pengembangan Karakter melalui Kecerdasan Emosional dan Spiritual dalam Pembelajaran. Padang: UNP Press.
Nasr, S. H. (2019). Islam and the environmental crisis. In Religion and the environment (pp. 85–106). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429277030-6
Melta, D., Lufri, L., Arsih, F., & Fuadiyah, S. (2025). Sustainability consciousness level among pre-service biology teacher student. Assimilation: Indonesian Journal of Biology Education, 8(1), 41-52. https://doi.org/10.17509/aijbe.v8i1.75345
Khairati, I., Lufri, L., Festiyed, F., Usmeldi, U., & Mawardi, M. (2025). Assessing students' sustainability consciousness in biology learning: empirical evidence through rasch analysis. Biosfer: Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi, 18(2), 100–111. https://doi.org/10.21009/biosferjpb.53450
Nashori, F., Ghufron, M. N., & Izzaty, R. E. (2020). The role of Islamic spirituality and gratitude in predicting Muslim students' psychological well-being. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 23(8), 695–706. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2020.1834011
Nurohman, A. (2022). Integrasi nilai spiritual dalam pembelajaran sains. Jurnal Pendidikan Sains Indonesia, 10(2), 85–96.
Nurzaman, E. (2022). Pendidikan karakter berbasis PBL dalam perspektif pendidikan Islam. Ta’dibuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 11(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.32832/tadibuna.v11i1.5342
Olsson, D., Gericke, N., Sass, W., & Boeve-de Pauw, J. (2020). Self-perceived action competence for sustainability: The theoretical grounding and empirical validation of a novel research instrument. Environmental Education Research, 26(5), 742–760. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2020.1736991
Parizeau, K., von Massow, M., & Martin, R. (2022). Understanding food waste produced by university students: A social practice approach. Sustainability, 14(17), 10653. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710653
Rahman, A., Syahputra, R., & Sari, R. (2023). Integrasi kecerdasan emosional dan spiritual dalam pembelajaran abad 21. Jurnal Pendidikan Karakter, 14(2), 112–126. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpk.v14i2.51230
Redman, E., & Wiek, A. (2021). Sustainability competencies and sustainability consciousness. Sustainability Science, 16(3), 1141–1156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00869-w
Reynolds, C., Goucher, L., Quested, T., Bromley, S., Gillick, S., Wells, V. K., ... & Jackson, P. (2019). Consumption-stage food waste reduction interventions: What works and how to design better interventions. Food Policy, 83, 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2019.01.009
Rice, G. (2022). Islamic ethics and the implications for climate change. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95906-5
Saad, M. (2023). Emotional and spiritual quotient for sustainable education’s service quality. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(4), 2156–2164. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i4.25434
Savery, J. R. (2019). Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1002
Savery, J. R., & Duffy, T. M. (2020). Problem-based learning: An instructional model and its constructivist framework. In Educational technology (35)(5), 31–38. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315042022-2
Schanes, K., Dobernig, K., & Gözet, B. (2018). Food waste matters: A systematic review of household food waste practices and their policy implications. Journal of Cleaner Production, 182, 978–991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.030
Schmidt, H. G., Rotgans, J. I., & Yew, E. H. (2018). The process of problem-based learning: What works and why. Medical Education, 52(7), 715–726. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13532
Syahrul, & Ramdhani, M. A. (2021). Pendidikan karakter melalui pengembangan kecerdasan emosional dan spiritual. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 10(1), 45–58.
Tafese, M.B., Kopp, E. Education for sustainable development: analyzing research trends in higher education for sustainable development goals through bibliometric analysis. Discov Sustain 6, 51 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00711-7
UNEP. (2021). Food waste index report 2021. United Nations Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-waste-index-report-2021
UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre. (2021). Reducing consumer food waste using green and digital technologies. UNEP CCC. https://unepccc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/reducing-consumer-food-waste-using-green-and-digital-technologies.pdf
UNESCO. (2018). Global education monitoring report 2019: Migration, displacement and education. UNESCO Publishing. https://doi.org/10.54676/AXMW8067
UNESCO. (2022). Education for sustainable development: A roadmap. UNESCO Publishing.
United Nations. (2023). The sustainable development goals report 2023. United Nations.
Walker, A., & Leary, H. (2021). A problem-based learning meta-analysis: Differences across problem types, implementation types, disciplines, and assessment levels. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.14434/ijpbl.v15i1.28821
Wiek, A., Bernstein, M. J., Foley, R. W., Cohen, M., Forrest, N., Kuzdas, C., Kay, B., & Keeler, L. W. (2021). Operationalising competencies in higher education for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2020-0031
Zohar, D., & Marshall, I. (2000). SQ: Spiritual intelligence, the ultimate intelligence. Bloomsbury.
Published
2025-11-29
How to Cite
Apriyoza, W., & Fadilah, M. (2025). Examining The Opportunities Of ESQ-Oriented Problem Based Learning On Food Waste Issues In Enhancing Students’ Sustainability Consciousness. Pedagogi: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 25(2), 234-240. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24036/pedagogi.v25i2.2668
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Articles
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