Effectiveness of Science-Technology-Society Approach in Improving Environmental Awareness Among Secondary Students in Bauchi State

This study examined the effectiveness of the Science-Technology-Society instructional approach in improving environmental awareness among secondary school students in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The STS approach contextualises science learning within real-world technological and societal issues, making it potentially effective for building environmental awareness in regions experiencing tangible ecological challenges. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used. Six SS2 classes from six secondary schools in Bauchi, Dass, and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas participated, with three in the STS condition and three in the conventional instruction condition across eight weeks. The STS lessons incorporated local desertification, water scarcity, and deforestation case studies. An Environmental Awareness Test and an Environmental Attitude Scale were validated with reliability indices of 0.81 and 0.79. Analysis of Covariance was used. Results showed significantly higher environmental awareness scores and more positive environmental attitudes in the STS group. Student essays from the STS condition demonstrated stronger connections between scientific knowledge and civic responsibility. The study provides empirical support for STS instruction in ecologically vulnerable contexts and recommends formal adoption of the STS framework in secondary Biology and Geography curricula in Bauchi State, paired with teacher training. Keywords: Science-Technology-Society, environmental awareness, secondary education, Bauchi State, contextual science teaching.