Effectiveness of Critical Discourse Analysis on Environmental Sustainability and Achievement in English among Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a pedagogical strategy for enhancing environmental sustainability awareness and achievement in English among secondary school students. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test non-equivalent group design was employed with a sample of 98 ninth-grade students from a school in Ernakulam, Kerala. The experimental group (n=48) was taught using CDA-based lessons, while the control group (n=48) received instruction through a traditional discourse-oriented pedagogy. Pre-test and post-test scores for environmental sustainability and English achievement were compared using t-tests and ANCOVA. The results revealed a significant positive impact of the CDA strategy on both environmental sustainability understanding and achievement in English, with the experimental group demonstrating significantly higher mean scores and gain scores compared to the control group. The findings suggest that CDA is a more effective approach than traditional methods for promoting critical thinking about environmental issues and improving English language proficiency.