Abstract

Plastic and microplastic pollution is becoming an increasingly significant environmental challenge in Vietnam, creating a need to transform environmental education from the transmission of knowledge toward the development of learners’ capacity for action. This article examines the need to shift the educational focus from awareness of plastic waste to a “plastic footprint” approach, thereby enabling learners to understand the entire life cycle of plastic products and identify the sources and pathways through which microplastics enter and spread throughout the environment. It also proposes integrating microplastics education across disciplines, adapting educational content to local contexts, and assessing learning outcomes based on action competence. This approach provides a foundation for strengthening environmental education in Vietnam and fostering a generation of citizens capable of understanding, critically evaluating, and participating in efforts to address complex environmental problems.

Keywords: Behavioral change, environmental education, microplastics, pollution mitigation, public awareness.