College Students' Skills and Motivation in Solid Waste Management: Implications for Environmental Education

Abstract

This study assessed colleges of education students’ skills and motivation towards solid waste management in the North Central Zone of Nigeria.  The cross-sectional survey design was adopted in the study and a sample of 1, 800 NCE three students from six sampled colleges of education in the north central zone of Nigeria used. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses formulated to guide the study.  Students’ Skills and Motivation towards Solid Waste Management Questionnaire was used for collecting data from students. The instrument was validated by three experts, one, a director from the Plateau State Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency, the others, professors in science education and research, measurement and evaluation, respectively, from the faculty of education, University of Jos, Nigeria. The construct validity was established using factor analysis while the reliability index of 0.85 was determined using the Cronbach alpha method. Frequency, mean, standard deviation and percentage were used to answer the research questions while t-test and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that, colleges of education students had low levels of skills and motivation, respectively, in solid wastes management. Science major students were found to be more motivated than the non-science major students. There was also a significant relationship between students’ levels of skills and motivation in solid waste management. Findings imply that teachers should inculcate requisite waste management skills in in environmental/geography education students and motivate them to apply such skills in managing solid wastes in and outside college premises for environmental sustainability.

Keywords: Assessment, Environmental Education, Motivation, Solid waste management Skills, Sustainability.