Understanding Ecological Literacy Development Types in Elementary Students

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, increasing environmental challenges have underscored the importance of ecological literacy. However, limited research has examined how it develops over time or why students exhibit different developmental patterns. This study addresses this gap by identifying patterns of ecological literacy development and examining how they are shaped within the Process–Person–Context–Time (PPCT) framework. Using a mixed‐methods longitudinal design, ecological literacy was assessed across three survey waves ( n  = 464), and students were classified into four types based on mean scores and variability: Consistent High, Consistent Low, Improved, and Declined. Following the third survey, a 4‐week ecological activity intervention was implemented, and qualitative data from interviews, student artifacts, and video recordings were analyzed to examine how group‐specific characteristics were shaped through proximal processes. The findings show that patterns differ in the stability and quality of proximal processes and can be interpreted as combinations of personal and situational conditions, resulting in four interpretive categories. Consistent high achievers showed sustained, self‐initiated engagement supported by recurring interactions, whereas consistent low achievers showed limited engagement and weak ecological sensitivity. Improved achievers showed increasing engagement through repeated but context‐dependent interactions, while declined achievers showed reduced engagement associated with decreased opportunities and academic demands. These results suggest that ecological literacy development is shaped not only by exposure to ecological activities but by how such experiences are supported, internalized, and sustained through proximal processes. By integrating longitudinal classification with qualitative analysis, this study highlights the role of sustained social and environmental interactions in shaping students' ecological development.