Analysis of Lake Toba Ecoliteracy in High School Students

The Lake Toba ecosystem is currently experiencing increasingly worsening quality degradation, so that instilling environmental awareness through ecoliteracy has become urgent in the world of education. This study aims to measure the ecoliteracy abilities of students at High School 1 Ajibata and High School 2 Balige by reviewing three main aspects: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Additionally, it will analyze the differences in ecoliteracy levels between the two schools. The type of research used is ex post facto with a quantitative approach. Data were collected through test instruments for the cognitive aspect and questionnaires for the affective and behavioral aspects. The data were then analyzed descriptively and through comparative tests using independent t-tests. The findings show that the ecoliteracy abilities of High School 1 Ajibata students are in the "Medium" category with an average of 68.99, while students at High School 2 Balige are in the "High" category with an average of 80.99. The results of the hypothesis test show a sig value (2-tailed) < 0.05, which confirms a significant difference in ecoliteracy abilities between students at the two schools. This research provides an empirical data basis for educational policy makers in the Lake Toba area to design a more integrative environment-based curriculum to enhance the ecological character of the younger generation for the sustainability of the local ecosystem.