Project-based environmental education for developing socio-ecological values and sustainable behaviour among Kazakhstani school students

The development of socio-ecological values in adolescents often remains limited to awareness and does not consistently translate into stable everyday behaviour. This study examined the ECO-PROGRESS model, a school-based approach integrating Biology, Chemistry, and Geography with the elective course Foundations of Socio-Ecological Values and practice-oriented activities linked to local environmental challenges in Almaty. The study used an exploratory one-group pre-test/post-test design. Participants were 64 Grade 10 students from two classes. No control group was included, and anonymous data collection did not allow individual T1-T2 linkage; therefore, the analysis focused on group-level trends rather than within-person change. Data were collected using an author-designed questionnaire assessing socio-ecological values, behavioural practices, participation in environmental campaigns, regular pro-environmental actions, and family-related discussions and habits. The post-test also included evaluative items on perceived changes and the learning formats students considered most influential. Reflective essays were analysed thematically to identify how students interpreted responsibility, practice-oriented learning, local environmental relevance, and family-related reinforcement. Quantitative analysis was based on proportions, changes in proportions, Cohen's h, and confidence intervals interpreted cautiously at the group level. Across most indicators, the post-test distributions showed positive shifts in awareness, reported behavioural practices, participation in initiatives, and several family-context indicators. The qualitative findings likewise emphasized everyday responsibility, the importance of practice over declaration, the local salience of environmental problems, and the role of family discussion and support. The findings provide preliminary support for the use of integrated, practice-oriented environmental education within the natural science cycle. At the same time, stronger conclusions require comparison groups, follow-up measurement, and individual-level longitudinal tracking.