Ecotheology as a Media to Build Self-Awareness in the Student Learning Process

Abstract

The growing need for holistic education has highlighted the importance of fostering 
students’ self-awareness alongside cognitive achievement. However, educational 
practices often emphasize academic outcomes while paying limited attention to 
reflective, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of learning. This study aims to 
examine how ecotheology-based learning contributes to the development of 
students’ self-awareness during the learning process at MTs Pakis Cilongok, a 
madrasa located on the slopes of Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia. The study 
employed a qualitative descriptive case study approach involving a school 
principal, teaching volunteers, and students selected through purposive sampling. 
Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, 
and document analysis and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings 
reveal that the integration of ecotheological values into learning activities, 
including outdoor learning, observation and photography of local flora and fauna, 
nature reflection, and contextual practices such as coffee-processing activities, 
creates meaningful learning experiences that encourage self-reflection, 
responsibility, emotional regulation, and intrinsic motivation. Three major 
dimensions of students’ self-awareness emerged from the analysis: self-reflection, 
responsibility for learning, and spiritual meaning-making. Students increasingly 
perceived learning not only as an academic task but also as a process connected to 
personal growth, worship, and ecological responsibility. The study concludes that 
ecotheology-based learning functions as an effective psychopedagogical medium 
for fostering students’ self-awareness and supports the development of holistic, 
value-oriented, and sustainable educational practices within Islamic educational 
settings.