Addressing the awareness-behavior gap in SDG 12: a participatory arts-based approach to food waste in Indonesia

Abstract

Addressing the awareness-behavior gap in sustainable consumption (SDG 12) requires educational models that transcend didactic instruction to disrupt deeply ingrained routines, particularly in culturally distinct, non-Western settings. Grounded in social practice theory (SPT), this quantitative descriptive case study evaluates the effectiveness of a contextually adapted participatory arts-based Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework implemented at an Islamic secondary school in Indonesia. To mitigate the hierarchical relationship typical of traditional classrooms, the intervention utilized a near-peer university mentoring model to guide students through a localized digital filmmaking process. Pre- and post-intervention survey data ( N = 153) revealed significant cognitive shifts, including a medium practical effect in general SDG awareness (rising from 48% to 81%) and a substantive increase in specific comprehension of SDG Target 12.3 (halving global per capita food waste). Crucially, this reflexive engagement translated into a successful restructuring of communal practices, with a 13-percentage point reduction in observable cafeteria food waste, dropping from an 18% baseline to 5%. The findings demonstrate that adapting participatory pedagogical structures, such as mentor-led facilitation and student-led filmmaking, can effectively drive observable pro-environmental behavioral change across diverse socio-cultural contexts.