Eco-Literacy and Life Sciences Integration in English Language Curricula: Lived Experiences of Selected Basic Education and Junior High School Teachers

Abstract

The increasing urgency of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change has
intensified the call for integrating sustainability concepts across educational disciplines. While eco-
literacy has traditionally been associated with science education, English Language curriculum offers
significant opportunities to cultivate environmental awareness through literary analysis, critical
discourse, reflective writing, and contextual communication. Language educators are uniquely
positioned to facilitate interdisciplinary learning by embedding life sciences concepts into language
instruction, thereby fostering ecological consciousness alongside communicative competence. Despite
the growing emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), little is known about how
language teachers experience the integration of eco-literacy and life sciences into English language
contexts. This study explores the lived experiences of selected Basic Education and Junior High School
language teachers in Marinduque and Quezon. It investigates how they integrate life sciences into their
instructional practices to advance eco-literacy. Employing a qualitative phenomenological design using
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study purposively selected language teachers
actively engaged in teaching English-related subjects. Data were gathered through semi-structured in-
depth interviews and analyzed following the systematic procedures of IPA. The study is expected to
reveal the pedagogical strategies, enabling factors, instructional challenges, and professional insights
that shape interdisciplinary teaching for environmental sustainability. The findings may contribute to
strengthening curriculum innovation, interdisciplinary pedagogy, teacher professional development,
and sustainable education policies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).