The Effect of The Earthcomm Learning Model on Spatial Thinking Ability: Efforts To Strengthen The Character of Environmental Care

Abstract

Geography learning can be conducted with an Earthcomm learning model covering cognitive and affective skills. Solving these environmental challenges requires geographic and environmental literacy. This research evaluates the effectiveness of the Earthcomm model in enhancing spatial thinking and environmental care for high school students in Bululawang. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests randomly assigned 72 students to experimental and control groups. Instruments used were a 10-question spatial thinking essay, a 30-question environmental care survey, and Earthcomm-based worksheets. Analysis showed significant effects of the educational intervention on spatial thinking (p = 0.000) and environmental care (p = 0.023). Thus, a statistically significant correlation exists between those variables (p= 0,000), indicating that improving spatial skills may lead to greater environmental responsibility. The N Gain Score (NGS) assessment reveals that this model, with 47.9% NGS, is "less effective" in superior improvement due to the less implementation period in the syllabus, which necessitates further utilization and modification of the syllabus to guarantee effectivity. Despite such limitations, the findings have important implications for the Earthcomm model and its potential use in geography education, particularly in promoting spatial thinking and environmental care. This adds a small but important contribution to the limited literature on innovative geography curricula, illustrating how this model can equip students to meet the challenges of current global environmental issues. However, more attention will be paid to iterating, expanding, and applying the Earthcomm model to foster these skills.