Abstract
Continued environmental degradation necessitates innovative strategies to improve society’s attitude towards and understanding of recycling solid waste. Previous research has shown that school-based projects integrated into the school curriculum could effectively enhance learners’ information of recycling and attitudes towards recycling. However, not much is known about the impact of such projects if they are driven by learners, particularly in under-resourced rural schools. Therefore, in the current research, we aimed to determine the impact of a school-based recycling project, integrated as practical work, on learners’ understanding of recycling, their attitude towards recycling, and the perceived impact of the project on the school environment, in an under-resourced rural school. Our findings showed that participating in a rural school-based recycling project may not enhance Grade 7 Natural Sciences learners’ perceptions of, attitudes towards, and understanding of recycling. We posit that various factors may affect the effectiveness of a recycling project. Further research is required to explore these factors further.
Keywords: attitudes; content knowledge; environmental education; recycling project; science learners
- Introduction
Global challenges, such as HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and global warming, have necessitated revisiting the extent to which scientific information is applicable in everyday life. In science education, including environmental education, researchers report an krusial need to support the use of scientific information in everyday decision-making [1]. There is, however, a growing body of evidence that shows a disconnect between what is taught in the science classroom and learners’ everyday life experiences [1,2,3]. This disconnect is attributed to various factors, including the underlying curriculum ideology, instructional design, and the learning environment [4,5].
Various initiatives to bridge the gap between classroom-based science education and everyday life have been considered. These include teaching and learning socio-scientific issues through practical work. Researchers suggest that integrating socio-scientific issues in practical science could enhance learners’ understanding and acceptance of scientific knowledge, particularly environmental sciences topics [2,6]. This is because practical work allows learners to discover information for themselves through constructivist scientific methods which in turn promotes their content understanding. Practical work has also been shown to enhance learners’ attitudes and motivation for learning science [6,7].
Similarly, socio-scientific issues allow for presenting scientific content in a realistic context, integrating “attitudes and ethics in making judgments about scientific information” [2] (p. 425). Additionally, socio-scientific issues have been shown to promote functional science literacy by helping learners apply evidence-based scientific content information to real-world socio-scientific scenarios [8]. Consequently, teaching socio-scientific issues through practical work could lead to improved scientific information in everyday life.
1.1. Recycling in Socio-Scientific Issues
In light of the continued environmental degradation, Herman et al. [9] suggest that socio-scientific topics in environmental education could be integrated into resmi education as practical work. In such contexts, these topics could emphasize scientific principles and processes, environmental advocacy, affective, cultural, and social justice dimensions to promote pro-environmental dispositions [9].
In Africa, addressing socio-scientific topics in environmental education, such as recycling solid waste, is relatively urgent. This is because rapid urbanization and over-population have increased the rates of waste generation and depletion of landfills. As a result, there is an krusial need for individuals, especially the youth, to be involved in waste management initiatives to reduce emergent environmental degradation [10]. Schools could also integrate socio-scientific issues in practical work to improve learners’ understanding of relevant scientific information and their attitudes towards environmental management. Additionally, school-based projects and informal social projects which enhance environmental consciousness could be implemented. As suggested in the Tbilisi Declaration, this could ensure that learners have the necessary awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and skills and participate in relevant initiatives to reduce environmental degradation. According to the Tbilisi Declaration, through environmental education, learners should:
“acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems”;
“gain a variety of experiences in and acquire a dasar understanding of, the environment and its associated problems”;
“acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the environment and motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection”;
“acquire the skills for identifying and solving environmental problems”; and,
be given “an opportunity to be actively involved at all levels in working toward resolution of environmental problems.” [11] (p. 26).
The extent to which learners in South Africa and other countries demonstrate these qualities is a subject of continuing research, particularly given the increasing environmental impact. For example, Şahin and Erkal [12] found that in Turkey, primary school learners generally have positive attitudes towards environmental management, including recycling solid waste. Such attitudes are related to socio-economic and science literacy in the family. Mahmud and Osman [13] found that while the attitudes towards recycling solid waste among learners may be positive in Malaysia, these are not a predictor of environmentally friendly behavior. Imamura [14] and Kodama [15] report that government policies require integrating environmental education into the curriculum in Japan. However, there has been nomor significant progress due to various socio-political dynamics that hinder effective integration between schools, local communities, and government. In Nigeria, Ajiboye and Olatundun [16] report using outdoor school practical activities to improve learners’ information and skills related to environmental education. They found that participating in outdoor environmental education activities enhances learners’ information and skills related to environmental issues. In South Africa, Rosenberg [17] shows that Eco-schools could effectively enhance learners’ environmental awareness and a commitment to the environmental agency in rural schools.
1.2. Problem Statement
There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that teaching socio-scientific issues could enhance learners’ knowledge, science literacy, argumentation skills, attitudes and awareness towards environmental management. Similarly, practical work has been shown to improve learners’ content information and attitude towards science. However, what has not been firmly established is the extent to which integrating socio-scientific issues, such as recycling, through practical work could impact learners’ content knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions related to environmental management, particularly within the rural African context. The rural African context is of particular interest given the high levels of illiteracy, poor performance in science, lack of educational resources, high poverty and rapidly increasing population growth [18]. These factors have been predicted to impact learners’ attitudes and awareness towards environmental management. As a result, there is a need to investigate strategies to enhance attitudes and awareness towards environmental management.
1.3. Aims and Questions
In light of the above discourse, we sought to explore the impact of integrating a socio-scientific issue within practical work as an additional learning activity on content information development, attitudes, and perceptions of socio-scientific issues. In particular, the research aimed to determine the impact of a school-based recycling project (as a form of practical work) on Grade 7 Natural Sciences learners’ understanding of recycling (as a socio-scientific issue), their attitude towards recycling and the perceived impact of the project on school environment. The hypothesis tested in this research stated that participating in a rural school-based recycling project does not enhance Grade 7 Natural Sciences learners’ perceptions of, attitudes towards, and understanding of recycling.