This paper focuses on
assessment of teachers and pupils’ knowledge and attitude towards solid
waste management in public primary schools in Plateau State. The design
adopted for this research work is the survey research design. The sample
population of this study was 500 teachers and Pupils cut across 117 selected
primary schools, selected by the researcher out of the population, under
study, the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistical tool, and
probability of retaining or rejecting the hypotheses is P≤0.05.;
Campaigns on public awareness and information sharing campaigns should be
organized to raise the awareness of local people on segregation of waste at
the source and encourage them to practice in 3Rs (reuse, reduce, and
recycle). It is essential to organize public participation programs in order
to obtain better result, in addition to promoting 3Rs, the government may
convince the local people to pay a fee for waste management services
willingly and encourage them to reduce waste generation from households.
Imposing waste management fee may lead to a reduction in waste generation at
the household level. The research conclude that improper waste disposal is a
threat to the environment, it is important to volunteer in school cleaning
activities, teachers and pupils’ should minimize solid waste in our
environment by reminding other people and on proper waste disposal. There is
need for teachers and pupils have positive attitude towards waste management
in schools, Teachers and pupils have adequate knowledge of waste management,
thereby affecting their attitude.
The waste management sector is facing
numerous challenges globally. Huge amounts of municipal and industrial wastes
are produced daily worldwide as a consequence of human activities. It is
estimated that about 3.4-4 billion tons of solid wastes and up to 300 million
tons of hazardous waste are produced annually worldwide (Nabegu,
2010). As the volume and complexity of solid waste increase, the environmental
risk posed by the waste products including human health risks, ecosystem
degradation, contamination of soils and water, as well as, greenhouse gas
emissions, global warming, and climate change become more serious.
Globally, most public schools are facing a
high level of pollution as a result of poor knowledge of solid waste
management. The situation in less-developing countries such as Nigeria is more
acute, partly because of the lack of adequate solid waste disposal facilities
and people’s negative attitude towards the environment. There is strong
evidence which suggests that individual or group awareness and attitudes
towards waste generation and management is critical in the effort to respond to
the waste management challenges (Kofoworola, 2007).
The negative attitude of the society towards the environment also affected the
educational institution whose problem has been aggravated by constant changes,
not just in curriculum content but also school subjects.
Solid waste refers to any garbage, refuse,
sludge, and other discarded materials including solid, semi-solid, or contained
gaseous materials, resulting from industrial, commercial, running and
agricultural operations, and from community activities (New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation, 2015). Solid wastes constitute the
following materials when discarded: Paper bags, polythene bags, bottles,
agricultural solid waste (tomato peels, cabbage, sugar cane, yam peels, etc.),
waste tyres, scrap metal, latex paint, furniture and
toys, garbage, appliances and vehicles, oil and anti-freeze, empty aerosol
cans, and compressed gas cylinders, construction and demolition debris, and
asbestos. Therefore, solid waste could be defined as non-liquid and non-gaseous
garbage, refuse or sludge products of human activities, regarded as useless (Leton and Omotosho, 2004).
Solid waste management is the collection,
treatment and disposal of solid materials that are discarded because they have
served their purpose or are no longer useful. Improper disposal of solid waste
can create unsanitary conditions, and these conditions, in turn, can lead to
pollution of the environment and the outbreak of vector-borne diseases, that
is, diseases spread by rodents and insects. The task of solid waste management
presents complex technical challenges. It also poses a wide array of
administrative, economic, and social problems that must be managed and solved
(Jerry, 2015).
Teachers and students knowledge
and attitude towards waste management appears to be crucial as they ultimately
play a direct role in providing knowledge-based solutions to in- coming
environmental problems. School environmental programs, although addressed to
students if properly channel can also influence the environmental knowledge,
attitude and behaviour of adults (parents, teachers
and local community members) through the process of intergenerational
influence. Adaye (2019) asserts that teachers and
students’ knowledge of waste management play a central role in recycling solid
waste which help in generating wealth “waste to wealth” this will enhance
independency among young employed and unemployed youths. Every school generates
waste arising from routine activities such as classwork, sweeping, serving of
food, and bush cutting. All the mentioned can generate wealth when properly
managed and recycle. The common types of solid wastes found in various schools
include paper, grass, nylon (pure water bags and biscuits, lollypops, ice cream, and sweet or candy wrappers), sugar cane, maize cobs,
and groundnut shells. Other forms of wastes may also be found on school
premises, and these may not have even been generated directly by pupils and
teachers. Age, gender, educational status, and amount charged for waste
collection services had been identified as factors influencing solid waste
management in highly populated cities like Ibadan and Lagos (Ajani, 2007).
1.2 Statement of the
Problem
Waste
collection anywhere in the world is a problem that emanate as a result of
industrialization and population growth. As cities grow economically, greater
business activity and diverse consumption patterns drive up the solid waste
quantities. A lot of attention has been given to this challenge in Nigeria, but
it seems to be a mere lip service. For an effective strategy to be put in place,
everyone roaming the street must be an active participant in the management of
the waste produce by the populace.
Waste that
are not properly managed are a serious health hazards leading to the spread of
infectious diseases. Unattended waste lying around attracts flies, rats, and
creatures that in turn spread diseases. WHO (2004) estimates that about 1.8
million people die annually from diarrheal diseases where 90% are children
under five, mostly in developing countries. Indiscriminate dumping of waste,
irregular collection of waste generated and inadequate resources are all as a
result of negative attitude toward waste management. Therefore, this work sort
to test primary school teachers and pupils’ attitude toward waste management as
the bases for adequate training of the upcoming generation through functional
education in waste management strategies.
Research questions
The study was guided by the
following questions
1.To
what extent are teachers and pupils knowledge on solid waste management
practices in public Primary Schools in Plateau State?
2.There
is no significant relationship between the teachers and pupils’ attitudes on
solid waste management practices in public primary schools in Plateau State
Conceptual
Framework
Wastes
and solid wastes
The concept of waste is one that has
attracted so much concern from various researchers. This is because many items
can be regarded as waste yet what is waste to one individual may not be waste
to another. Wastes may be useful materials but are in places where they are not
needed. A discarded empty beer bottle or empty bottled water container may be
useful to a ‘zobo’ seller. Though these empty
containers are discarded because their owners found them useless, they can
become a resource to another person. In the light of this, waste has been
conceptualized by different authors. Adewumi (2001)
defined waste as a resource in the wrong place. In a different perspective, Tchobanoglous and Kreith (2002)
opined that wastes are discarded tangible products of human activities that are
regarded as unwanted and useless. Similarly, Abiodun
(2003) refers to waste as lack of use or value or useless remains. According to
him, it is a by-product of human activities. Oyeniyi
(2011) defined waste as any material which has been used and is no longer
wanted because the valuable or useful part of it has been taken out. This means
that wastes are such items which people are required to discard because their
owners no longer see any value in them but can serve another person a useful
purpose.
Solid waste has been variously defined by
different individuals and groups. (American Public works
Association, 1975; WHO, 1977, West African Health Examination Board-WAHEB,
1991; Obionu, 1999; and Okereke,
2000). Additionally, Nnamani (2000) conceptualized solid wastes as all
materials that the possessor or owners no longer considers of sufficient value
to retain. Avinash, Manoj,
and Eonkar (2008) defined solid waste (SW) as the
material that no longer has any value to the person who is responsible for it
and is not intended to be discharged through a pipe. The researchers posited
that solid wastes does not normally include human excreta but it is generated
by domestic, commercial, industrial, healthcare, agricultural and mineral
extraction activities and accumulates in streets and public places. Babayemi and Dauda (2009) added
that solid wastes are non-liquid and nongaseous products of human activities,
regarded as being useless.
Management
and solid waste management
Aluko (2001) opined that
management is the act of arranging and organizing materials and conditions that
the goals and purposes of an organization may be achieved. In similar opinion
Maxwell (2004), posited that management is the process of organizing,
controlling, coordinating and utilizing human and material resources towards
achieving organizational goals.
Based on the study targeting students of a
selected hostel in Rajasthan University by Arora and Agarwal (2011) on the variables comprising of waste
management knowledge, attitude and practices, established that the university
student attitude towards waste management, indicated low, less favorable, and
moderate in knowledge, attitude, and practice respectively; correlation of
knowledge and attitude was absent, practice and knowledge indicated a
substantial correlation.
Waste
Management Practices
Adogu (2015) conducted a study in Owerri
municipal Imo state residents in Nigeria and found 90% of the respondents on
the questionnaire were aware of the waste management with 97.55% showing a
positive attitude toward managing wastes and protection of the environmental
health. Further, the results showed a 97.1 % of the household wastes comprising
of food residues as well as 95.4% being vegetable wastes. Open dumping 66.3% of
the sampled population, and burning 62.4% of the population practiced it forms
the two poor waste management approaches illustrated in the study. Wheel barrow
transportation stood out as the most famous means of waste transportation to
the dumping site. The respondents’ education and gender
significant impact on attitude, practice, and knowledge, attitude and practice
of waste management (p < 0.05).
METHOD
AND PROCEDURES
The design adopted for this research work is
the survey research design. The sample population of this study was 500
teachers and Pupils cut across 117 selected primary schools, selected by the
researcher out of the population, under study. The teachers and pupils were the
respondents in the study. The study employed a simple sampling technique
(lottery method) in determining the sample from the population. The process of
selection was also through the simple sampling technique. The use of the
lottery method was employed to arrive at the total respondents. The essence of
this sampling procedure was to represent the entire population. It involved picking
without replacement.A
self-made 4-point likert-type structured
questionnaire titled “Teachers and Pupils knowledge and Attitudes
toward Solid Waste Management” (TPKASWM). The structured questionnaire
is a close-ended type that will enable the subjects to select one from the
response options provided. The option provided in this case will be Strongly
Agreed (SA), Agreed (A), Disagreed (D), and Strongly Disagreed (SD), rated 4,
3, 2 and 1 points, respectively. While section “A” of
the questionnaire requires the respondent’s bio-data, section “B” will make up
of 20 items each requiring the choice of an option which represents the opinion
of the respondents. The descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation
will be used to answer the research questions while ANCOVA (SPSS) approach will
be adopted for testing the hypotheses.
Analysis
Question one: To what extent are teachers and pupils
knowledgeable on solid waste management practices in public Primary Schools in
Plateau State?
Table 1: Mean score of teachers and pupils
knowledgeable on solid waste management practices in public Primary Schools in
Plateau State
S/N
Items
Mean
Std.
Decision
1
Teachers believe that improper waste
disposal is a threat to the environment
3.0
1.16
Accepted
2
It is important to volunteer in school
cleaning activities (teachers and pupils)
3.2
1.18
Accepted
3
It
is the teachers and pupils’ roles to minimize solid waste in our environment
by reminding other pupils on proper waste disposal (pick and dispose waste)
2.6
1.16
Accepted
4
Waste
management is teachers and pupils’ responsibility and not only environmental
scientist
2.0
1.02
Rejected
6
It
is important to read and share information on waste management with other
teachers and pupils
Research Question 2:What are the
teachers and pupils’ attitudes on solid waste management practices in public
primary schools in Plateau State
Table 2: Mean score of teachers and pupils’
attitudes on solid waste management practices in public primary schools in
Plateau State
S/N
Items
x̅
Std.
Decision
6
Teachers and pupils
always practice waste management
3.3
1.21
Accepted
7
Teachers and pupils
have negative attitude towards waste management in schools
3.11
1.16
Accepted
8
Teachers and pupils
have adequate knowledge of waste management, thereby affecting their attitude
3.3
1.21
Accepted
9
Waste materials are
disposed according to the methods prescribed by the Government
2.4
1.07
Rejected
10
Teachers and pupils consider waste
management as contradicting their social life
2.3
1.06
Rejected
Table 2 above revealed that, the respondents
do not agree with the statement of item 9 and 10 with the mean of: 2.4, and 2.3
respectively. This implies that, the Waste materials are disposed according to
the methods prescribed by the Government and Teachers and pupils consider waste
management as contradicting their social life.
Testing of Research Hypotheses
In this
section, three hypotheses were stated to guide the conduct of this study. These
hypotheses were tested using t-test statistical tool, and probability of
retaining or rejecting the hypotheses is P≤0.05
Hypothesis One: There is no significant relationship between
teachers and pupils knowledgeable on solid waste management practices in public
Primary Schools in Plateau State. This hypothesis was analyzed with SPSS using
inferential statistical tools of t-test to ascertain differential influence
among the variables
Table
3 t-Test on significant relationship between teachers and pupils’ knowledge on
solid waste management practices in public Primary Schools in Plateau State
Variables
No
DF
Mean
STD
T-cal
(P)
Male
210
68
37.3200
21.7804
1.228
0.228
Female
290
49.3200
22.4622
Table 3 shows that the calculated p value of
0.228 is greater than 0.05 alpha level of significance at t-test value 1.221
and df of sixty-eight. This
shows there is significant relationship between teachers and pupils’ knowledge
on solid waste management practices in public Primary Schools in Plateau State.
Hence, the alternative Hypothesis which states that significant relationship
between teachers and pupils knowledge on solid waste management practices in
public Primary Schools in Plateau State was accepted
Hypothesis Two: There is no significant relationship between
the teachers and pupils’ attitudes on solid waste management practices in
public primary schools in Plateau State.
Table 4 t-Test on significant relationship
between the teachers and pupils’ attitudes on solid waste management practices
in public primary schools in Plateau State.
Variables
No
Df
Mean
STD
Tcal
(P)
Male
280
51.3000
32.4394
Female
220
130
47.5600
23.9285
1.108ns
0.271
Table 4 above showed significant relationship
between the teachers and pupils’ attitudes on solid waste management practices
in public primary schools in Plateau State, because the calculated p value of
0.271 is greater than the 0.05 alpha level of significance at a t- calculated
value 1.108 and df of one
hundred and thirty (130).
CONCLUSION
Based on the analysis
made, it can be deduced that pupils and teachers have good knowledge and
positive attitude toward waste management, but the general public has a negative
attitude toward waste management.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Campaigns on Public Awareness, Information sharing
campaigns should be organized by providing
adequate skips and public waste bins in collaboration with the development
authority and national solid waste management centreto
raise the awareness of local people on segregation of waste at the source and
encourage them to practice in 3Rs (reuse, reduce, and recycle). It is essential
to organize public participation programs in order to obtain better results.
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Cite this Article: Semshak, DZ; Mulak, NKW; Kitgakka,
G (2023). Assessment of Teachers and Pupils Knowledge and Attitude towards
Waste Management in Public Primary Schools in Plateau State.Greener
Journal of Educational Research, 13(1): 35-40.
