Environmental education for responsible solid waste management in ecuadorian educational institutions

Abstract

A common situation in schools is the inadequate management of solid waste, which requires the implementation of environmental education practices that consider the curricula of different educational levels and attitudes of teachers and students. The objective of this study was to propose environmental education guidelines to promote responsible solid waste management in an Ecuadorian educational institution, with an emphasis on secondary education. The research was conducted in a public educational institution in the city of Ibarra, Imbabura Province, Ecuador, and was organized in three phases: 1) Curricular analysis: A content analysis was conducted on secondary education programs to identify the presence of the topic at the curriculum. 2) Diagnosis of attitudes toward solid waste management. A survey was administered to 212 members of the educational community. 3) Environmental educational guidelines. These were developed considering previous results and validated at expert level. The topic of solid waste is present at the meso- and micro-curricular levels of Ecuadorian secondary education. Among the surveyed group, little knowledge about solid waste management and its effects was evident, although teachers and students are willing to participate in environmental educational activities. The educational guidelines include an awareness program, a program for adequate separation and reduction in generation, and a recycling program. Expert validation indicated that guidelines are relevant to the context studied and replicable in other educational settings.