Environmental awareness in elementary and secondary school students: strategies to address water scarcity

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies to promote environmental awareness among students of Basic General Education and High School in Ecuador, focusing on water scarcity, lack of rainfall, and forest fires. A quantitative methodology was applied using surveys of 150 students and interviews with 15 teachers from three educational institutions in areas affected by the water crisis. The results show that 92% of the students are aware of water scarcity and 90% express concern about the environment, with 85% willing to change their habits to reduce water consumption. Teachers have implemented various pedagogical strategies but face barriers such as lack of educational resources (60%) and insufficient training in environmental topics (40%). It is concluded that the pedagogical strategies are effective in increasing environmental awareness, but institutional support and teacher training need to be strengthened to maximize their impact.