The impact of game-based learning and jigsaw cooperative learning on elementary school students’ marine environmental awareness

This study investigated how a hybrid instructional model integrating board games and jigsaw cooperative learning supported elementary students’ marine environmental awareness. Twenty-three fifth-grade students participated in a three-week intervention involving two analog–digital board games. Students first engaged in expert-group exploration using QR-based multimedia resources, then applied their knowledge in jigsaw groups to address scenario-based marine dilemmas. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires and post-interviews were analyzed to understand changes in students’ marine environmental awareness and perceptions of the hybrid learning experience. Descriptive results revealed modest gains in knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and curricular involvement. Interview results indicated strong student engagement. Learners reported a deeper understanding of human–ocean interdependence, heightened responsibility toward marine protection, and greater willingness to adopt sustainable behaviors. Students emphasized teamwork, shared expertise, and problem-solving skills through realistic scenarios. The findings suggest that short, low-resource hybrid game-based interventions can effectively foster foundational environmental literacy by integrating cognitive and socio-emotional learning. This model offers a replicable classroom approach to operationalizing sustainability education.