Toward a Transformative Circular Pedagogy Model: Teacher Agency and Sustainability Education in Rural Island Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61255/jupiter.v4i1.863Keywords:
Circular Pedagogy, Rural Education Sustainability, Education, Teacher Agency, Waste-Based PedagogyAbstract
Background: Sustainability education in marginalized rural–island contexts remains insufficiently theorized, particularly where material scarcity and weak institutional support constrain pedagogical practice. Existing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literature predominantly reflects well-resourced settings, offering limited insight into how locally available materials, such as school waste, can be reconfigured as meaningful learning resources. Purpose: This study examines how teacher agency mediates the transformation of school waste into sustainability-oriented learning and develops a context-sensitive model of Transformative Circular Pedagogy. Method: A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted in two public senior high schools in Wakatobi, Indonesia. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by NVivo to identify cross-case patterns and construct an integrative model. Findings: The analysis reveals four interrelated processes: (1) waste as epistemic resource, (2) teacher agency as pedagogical driver, (3) experiential learning and student transformation, and (4) institutional fragility and innovation limits. These processes operate within a recursive system in which institutional dynamics continuously reshape material conditions, generating new cycles of pedagogical innovation. Conclusion: This study advances a Transformative Circular Pedagogy Model that reconceptualizes waste as an epistemic catalyst and positions teacher agency as the core mechanism of sustainability learning in resource-constrained contexts. Theoretically, it integrates material, pedagogical, and institutional dimensions into a dynamic circular framework. Practically and at the policy level, the findings highlight the urgency of institutionalizing sustainability education through governance alignment, professional support, and resource provision to ensure long-term scalability and impact.
Abstract views: 52
, 
PDF downloads: 13
Downloads
References
Adiprasetio, J. (2025). Epistemic bias and the rise of qualitative dominance in post-authoritarian Indonesian communication research. Frontiers in Communication, 10, 1602567.
Alam, A. (2022). Mapping a sustainable future through conceptualization of transformative learning framework, education for sustainable development, critical reflection, and responsible citizenship: an exploration of pedagogies for twenty-first century learning. Electrochemical Society Transactions, 107(1), 9827–9840.
Alhazemi, A. A. (2024). Transformative approaches to sustainable education: Technology, leadership and SDGs in higher education institutions. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 23(5), 41–67.
Almeida, J., & Daniel, A. D. (2025). Addressing the distinctive features of entrepreneurial ecosystems in low-density territories. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 14(4), 599–622.
Anggara, S. (2025). Public policy reform in Indonesia: Navigating bureaucratic culture in the age of disruption. TEC EMPRESARIAL, 20(2), 716–728.
Arachchige, P. H. L., & Jayasinghe, R. (2024). Empowering sustainable communities: Integrating environmentally and socially conscious engineering education for effective waste resource management. In Reimagining Engineering Education: Health. Justice. Sustainability. (pp. 63–79). Springer.
Ariando, W. (2021). Developing a model for the integration of Bajau traditional ecological knowledge in the management of locally managed marine area: a case study of Wakatobi regency, Indonesia. Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations, 1(1). https://doi.org/https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/chulaetd/4706
Aribowo, S., Nadiroh, N., & Faesal, M. (2025). Implementation of experiential learning methods in environmental education. International Journal of Business, Law, and Education, 6(1), 468–476.
Bak-Andersen, M. (2021). Reintroducing materials for sustainable design: Design process and educational practice. Routledge.
Bărbulescu, R., Enachescu, V. A., & Baltaretu, C. (2025). Integrating sustainability into stem education through project-based learning: empowering undergraduate students for eco-conscious innovation. EDULEARN25 Proceedings, 10428–10438.
Belbase, S., Mainali, B. R., Kasemsukpipat, W., Tairab, H., Gochoo, M., & Jarrah, A. (2022). At the dawn of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education: prospects, priorities, processes, and problems. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 53(11), 2919–2955.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2023). Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be (com) ing a knowing researcher. International Journal of Transgender Health, 24(1), 1–6.
Brown, C., White, R., & Kelly, A. (2023). Teachers as educational change agents: What do we currently know? Findings from a systematic review. Emerald Open Research, 1(3).
Chasokela, D. (2024). Fostering global citizenship through ESD in higher education: A study of international student mobility and sustainability awareness. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development Studies, 1(2), 117–133.
Chiba, M., Sustarsic, M., Perriton, S., & Edwards Jr, D. B. (2021). Investigating effective teaching and learning for sustainable development and global citizenship: Implications from a systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Educational Development, 81, 102337.
Christolouka, I., & Verdis, A. (2025). Mapping context through methodology: A framework for context-sensitive educational research. Learning in Context, 2(1–2), 100010.
Chuene, D. M., & Teane, F. M. (2024). Resource inadequacy as a barrier to effective curriculum implementation by life sciences teachers in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 44(2).
Cong-Lem, N. (2024). Teacher agency for change and development in higher education: A scoping literature review. International Journal of Educational Reform, 10567879231224744.
Coulson, J. V. (2024). Pedagogies of Sustenance and Survival: An Ethnographic Case Study With the Bajau. Teachers College, Columbia University.
Davidson, J., Prahalad, V., & Harwood, A. (2021). Design precepts for online experiential learning programs to address wicked sustainability problems. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 45(3), 319–341.
De Keyser, B., Guiette, A., & Vandenbempt, K. (2021). On the dynamics of failure in organizational change: A dialectical perspective. Human Relations, 74(2), 234–257.
Djam’an, N. (2025). Examining the implementation of environmental education in the STEAM approach for sustainability. Discover Education, 4(1), 410.
Edwards, E. (2019). English language teachers’ agency and identity mediation through action research: A Vygotskian sociocultural analysis. Theorizing and Analyzing Language Teacher Agency, 141–159.
Fadeev, A. (2019). Vygotsky’s theory of mediation in digital learning environment: Actuality and practice. Punctum, 5(1), 24–44.
Farooq, M. (2023). Pedagogy for transformative learning–case of sustainable agriculture and environment. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 30(4), 231–241.
Fitriyah, A. (2025). Inclusive Policy Design for Transformative Education: A Global Synthesis of Teacher Identity Formation in Resource-Constrained Contexts. Sinergi International Journal of Education, 3(2), 94–106.
Friman, H., Banner, I., Sitbon, Y., Sahar-Inbar, L., & Shaked, N. (2024). Experiential learning for sustainability: A catalyst for global change. Educ. Adm. Theory Pract, 30, 8508–8514.
Hemmert, M., Cross, A. R., Cheng, Y., Kim, J.-J., Kotosaka, M., Waldenberger, F., & Zheng, L. J. (2022). New venture entrepreneurship and context in East Asia: a systematic literature review. Asian Business & Management, 21(5), 831–865.
Huntjens, P., & Kemp, R. (2026). The transformation flower approach for eco-social contracting: Comparative insights from eight case studies in the Global South and North. In Eco-Social Contracts for Sustainable and Just Futures: Mobilising Collective Power to Deal with the 21st Century Polycrisis (pp. 283–312). Springer.
Izuchukwu Precious, O., & Zino, I.-O. (2025). Global education policies and their influence on environmental sustainability. Journal of Integrity Ecosystems and Environment, 3(2), 1–24.
Karim, N., Hadisi, L., Ramli, R., Lubis, M., & Anhusadar, L. (2024). Environmental Conservation of Coral Reefs in the Wakatobi Region Based on Islamic Education and Customary Law Approaches. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam, 8(3), 1547–1565.
Khosronejad, M., Weber, L., & Ryan, M. (2023). Teacher learning as a polyphonic endeavor: A context sensitive model of teacher professional development. Teachers and Teaching, 29(7–8), 908–923.
Lincoln, Y. S., Lynham, S. A., & Guba, E. G. (2011). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences, revisited. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 4(2), 97–128.
Meng, K., & Wang, Y. (2025). Data-Driven Green Technology Integration and Geopolitical Risks in East Asian Economic Development: A Predictive Analysis. Computational Economics, 1–34.
Mikalauskienė, A., Štreimikienė, D., & Mikalauskas, I. (2026). Climate Change and Responsible Consumption. In Climate Change and Responsible Consumption: From Crisis to Conscious Consumer Choices (pp. 63–140). Springer.
Mochere, J. M. (2025). The Symbiotic Curriculum: A Conceptual Framework for Integrating the SDGs Through Transformative Eco-Pedagogy. African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 2(2), 125–143.
Morris, T. H. (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive Learning Environments, 28(8), 1064–1077.
Nasir, N., & Mujiati, M. (2020). Management of Teaching Personnel (Teachers) in Rural Areas. Didaktis: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Ilmu Pengetahuan, 20(1).
Nopas, D. (2026). Inclusive and sustainable education in Thailand: transforming teacher education for equitable learning. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–20.
Nurhasanah, S., & Suyatman, U. (2025). Navigating Educational Challenges in Indonesia: Strategic Planning for Sustainable Education Inspired by Philip H. Coombs. Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan: Jurnal Ilmiah Administrasi, Manajemen Dan Kepemimpinan Pendidikan, 7(1), 28–35.
Perez, W., Espinoza, R., & Melendrez, M. (2023). Critical survey research. In Handbook of Critical Education Research (pp. 612–629). Routledge.
Popa, N. (2022). Operationalizing historical consciousness: A review and synthesis of the literature on meaning making in historical learning. Review of Educational Research, 92(2), 171–208.
Prazian, M. V, & Prykhodko, V. M. (2023). High-quality education for better sustainability and resiliency. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1254(1), 12031.
Priestley, M., Philippou, S., Alvunger, D., & Soini, T. (2021). Curriculum making: A conceptual framing. In Curriculum making in Europe: Policy and practice within and across diverse contexts (pp. 1–28). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Quibrantar, S. M., & Ezezika, O. (2023). Evaluating student engagement and experiential learning in global classrooms: A qualitative case study. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 78, 101290.
Ruswinarsih, S., Budimansyah, D., Wahyu, W., Sauri, S., & Arofah, L. (2025). Local Culture and Character Education Research Trends: A Decade-Long Bibliometric Study. IJORER: International Journal of Recent Educational Research, 6(5), 1340–1358.
Salim, A., Fuadi, A., Rochaendi, E., & Badriah, L. (2024). The Role of School Principals in Improving the Success of Elementary School Management: A Qualitative Case Study in Yogyakarta. EDUKASIA Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran, 5(2), 229–240.
Sang, G. (2022). Teacher agency. In Encyclopedia of teacher education (pp. 1731–1735). Springer.
Singh, R. K. (2025). Context-sensitive Pedagogy for Sustainable English Language Teaching: Prospect and Practice. Shiksha Shastra Saurabh, 25, 142–153.
Ssekyanzi, G., Ahmad, M. J., & Choi, K.-S. (2024). Sustainable solutions for mitigating water scarcity in developing countries: a comprehensive review of innovative rainwater storage systems. Water, 16(17), 2394.
Sterling, S. (2010). Sustainable education. In Science, society and sustainability (pp. 127–140). Routledge.
Symeonidis, V., Haas, E., & Schneider, K. (2023). Personal, social and professional support for newly qualified teachers: Teacher induction in Austria. Teaching and Teacher Education, 121, 103916.
Walshe, N., & Rushton, E. A. C. (2025). Understanding teacher agency in the context of school‐based climate change and sustainability education: A case study of the experiences of teachers and school students in England. British Educational Research Journal.
Wang, T., Ramdeo, J., & McLaughlin, C. (2021). Experiencing and experimenting: An exploration of teacher agency in an international collaborative teacher professional development programme using experiential learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 104, 103389.
Zhao, X., & Omran, M. (2025). Policy‐driven integrated reporting and integrated thinking: A cross‐country analysis. Business Strategy and the Environment, 34(1), 1206–1230.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Marlina Deli, Nasir, Lilianti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Email : fakhri.miftach@gmail.com
