Contextualizing Earth and Space Science Education through Local Environmental Issues

Contextualizing Earth and Space Science instruction provides greater opportunities for learners to create meaningful learning in an authentic setting. This study examined the impacts of sand dredging in Ilocos Sur and explored how these issues can be integrated into the Earth and Space Science curriculum. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving twelve purposively selected participants, including fisherfolk, coastal residents, barangay officials, and students. The collected data were analyzed thematically, and curriculum mapping was conducted to integrate the themes identified with the competencies in Grade 11 Earth and Space Science. It was found that there were six key themes: coastal erosion and shoreline retreat; sediment transport and river mouth dynamics; marine biodiversity loss and ecosystem destruction; socioeconomic impacts on coastal communities; climate resilience and disaster risk; and policy and governance gaps. Many of the themes were found to be closely related to core curriculum themes, standards, and competencies. It also revealed that these localized environmental issues can be turned into contextualized learning activities that nurture critical thinking, environmental literacy, and civic involvement among learners. Among the identified curriculum integration models, the theme-based model appeared to offer the strongest alignment with the environmental themes and competencies in the Earth and Space Science curriculum, providing meaningful, relevant, and community-oriented learning experiences.