Upcycling as a medium for eco-history education: An analysis of students’ lifestyles in caring for the Earth

This study examines the role of upcycling as an eco-history-based learning medium in fostering ecological awareness and sustainable lifestyles among vocational high school students. Employing a descriptive qualitative design, data were collected at SMK Negeri 5 Yogyakarta through document analysis, participatory observation, open-ended surveys, and in-depth interviews involving students and history teachers, with source triangulation applied to strengthen the credibility of the findings. The results reveal that conventional history instruction remains largely anthropocentric and memorization-based, limiting its relevance to contemporary ecological issues. Introducing eco-history through upcycling-based learning media offered a transformative pedagogical approach that linked historical narratives with real-world environmental challenges: students who transformed waste materials into historical learning media not only deepened their understanding of historical concepts but also exhibited more environmentally responsible behavior. The study further identifies a discernible shift from “awareness without action” toward active ecological engagement, reflecting a process of ecological conversion that fosters ecological literacy, creativity, and intergenerational responsibility. Integrating ethical frameworks such as Laudato Si’ and the Universal Apostolic Preferences strengthened the moral dimension of this environmental education approach. The study concludes that upcycling-based eco-history learning constitutes an innovative and effective model for bridging historical knowledge and sustainable practice, contributing to the advancement of sustainability education by demonstrating how history learning can serve as a medium for cultivating environmentally responsible behavior in vocational contexts.