Does Gender Matter? Gender Differences in Ecological Awareness among Students in an Adiwiyata Madrasah Implementing Green Theology

Abstract

The integration of Green Theology into Islamic education has increasingly been recognized as a strategic approach to fostering students' ecological awareness. However, empirical studies examining whether the implementation of Green Theology leads to differences in ecological awareness based on gender within Adiwiyata Madrasahs remain limited. This study aimed to examine gender differences in ecological awareness among students in an Adiwiyata Madrasah implementing Green Theology. A quantitative approach with a comparative research design was employed. The study involved all 147 fifth-grade students of MIN 1 Sukoharjo, Indonesia, using a total sampling technique. Data were collected through a validated and reliable ecological awareness questionnaire developed in a previous study. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, normality and homogeneity tests, followed by the Mann–Whitney U test to examine differences in ecological awareness between male and female students. The findings revealed that female students obtained a slightly higher mean ecological awareness score than male students; however, the difference was not statistically significant (U = 2323.50, p = 0.153). These results indicate that no significant gender differences exist in students' ecological awareness within the context of an Adiwiyata Madrasah implementing Green Theology. The findings provide empirical evidence that integrating Green Theology into classroom instruction, school culture, and the Adiwiyata Program can foster ecological awareness inclusively, regardless of gender. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge by positioning Green Theology as a sustainable Islamic education paradigm that promotes equitable internalization of ecological values among students.