"A Virtual Fieldtrip": Effects of Google Earth Learning Activities (GELA) on Students' Environmental Awareness and Environmental Attitudes

Environmental education allows students to investigate environmental problems, formulate necessary tests and analyses, and undertake activities to improve the condition of the environment, which are primarily done through field trips, forest visits, and community immersions. However, these outdoor activities have been discontinued and prohibited due to the travel restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study utilized virtual Google Earth Learning Activities (GELA) to provide alternative virtual experiences for the students learning environmental concepts. Moreover, this study aimed to assess the effects of GELA on students' environmental awareness and environmental attitudes. A quasi-experimental research design following a mixed-method approach was used in the study. The participants were 156 senior high school students from a private school in Manila, Philippines. Survey questionnaires were distributed online via Google forms, and the Focus Group Discussion was conducted synchronously thru Zoom video conferencing. Results revealed that students' environmental awareness moderately increased after performing the GELA (g=0.87, p<0.05), while there was a significantly high increase in students' environmental attitudes (g=0.66, p<0.05). Furthermore, it was also revealed that ecological awareness could predict ecological attitude, implying that there is also a good attitude towards the environment to those with great environmental awareness. Three themes were generated in the thematic analysis: Scientific Learning, Independent Learning, and Student Engagement. Overall, this study found that GELA is an effective teaching tool enhancing students' environmental awareness and attitude.