Fostering Action Competence Through Emancipatory, School-Based Environmental Projects: A Bildung Perspective

Although much research in environmental and sustainability education has focused on knowledge and awareness, fewer studies have examined how school-based projects can foster young learners’ capacity for action. This study investigates how emancipatory, school-based environmental projects can foster young learners’ foundational capacities for contributing to a more sustainable and caring future. Grounded in the Bildung perspective and the action competence framework, a 16-week intervention was implemented with Grade 8 students who collaboratively identified and addressed authentic environmental issues—such as waste mismanagement, sanitation concerns, and safety risks—within their school community. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, quantitative data from the Student Action Competence Questionnaire were integrated with qualitative evidence from worksheets and reflective journals. Results show consistent improvement across all dimensions of action competence, particularly in democratic collaboration and students’ willingness to take shared responsibility for environmental well-being. Qualitative findings reveal the development of critical reflection, co-creation with school stakeholders, and a growing sense of social responsibility, as students engaged in activities ranging from redesigning waste systems to proposing improvements through official communication channels. Rather than focusing on large-scale environmental outcomes, the projects cultivated everyday practices of care, participation, and ethical awareness—key dispositions for inspiring long-term change toward a greener and more sustainable future. The study highlights how context-based, dialogic learning can empower students as emerging environmental citizens within their immediate communities.