Developing Ecological Literacy in Elementary Students through a Resource Circulation Education Program

This study developed and evaluated a curriculum-integrated resource circulation education program to foster ecological literacy among elementary school students. As global challenges such as climate change and pollution intensify, education must embrace an ecological perspective that emphasizes coexistence between humans and nature. Recognizing the formative role of elementary years, the program was designed by integrating social studies with practical arts, fine arts, and ethics, focusing on cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains of ecological literacy. Topics relevant to daily life—waste, recycling, upcycling, and zero waste—were organized into three stages: “Caring,” “Knowing,” and “Practical Competence.” The study was conducted with two fifth-grade classes in Sejong City: an experimental group (25 students) that received the program and a control group (24 students) taught through the standard curriculum. Results showed significant improvement in the experimental group across all domains, with the greatest gains in ecological practice, where students engaged in concrete actions such as environmental campaigns. In conclusion, the program effectively advanced ecological literacy by moving beyond theory to foster values and practices for sustainable living. The findings align with the 2022 revised national curriculum and provide practical directions for expanding ecological transition education and developing systematic models for cultivating ecological citizenship.