Effectiveness of Waste Education: A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Litter Less Campaign

Master thesis (2021)

Authors

M.M.L. Vollebregt Technology, Policy and Management

Contributors

K.F. Mulder Organisation & Governance - TPM (supervisor 1)
Ward Peeters Universiteit Leiden (supervisor 2)
Shimon Ginzburg (coach)
Faculty
Technology, Policy and Management
Copyright: © 2021 Maddy Vollebregt
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Published Date

29-11-2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Technology, Policy and Management

Abstract

Waste education programmes, such as the Littler Less Campaign (LLC), are environmental and sustainability education (ESE) programmes which aim to increase the understanding of one’s impact on the environment and the impact of the environment on society. The LLC aims to increase waste literacy, which is a measure of a person’s understanding of waste pathways and the effects of anthropogenic waste on the environment. Waste literacy plays an important role in the field of industrial ecology as it has demonstrable effects on whether individuals are willing and able to participate in environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs). Previous studies have shown that it is necessary to increase the public’s understanding and awareness of environmental issues, and primary education is a critical time for shaping ERBs.

This thesis uses mixed methods to analyse how the LLC affects aspects of waste literacy and how teachers and national operators perceive the LLC’s effects. Multivariate data analysis is used to analyse LLC students’ knowledge of waste and attitudes towards waste and the factors affecting the LLC’s impact. The results show that the LLC has a significant effect on the students’ attitude toward waste and knowledge of waste in Northern Ireland and Russia, but not in Ireland. Gender and age did not affect LLC students’ scores, but female control students had higher knowledge and attitude scores compared to male control students while younger control students had higher attitude scores compared to older control students, suggesting that the LLC decreases the effect of background factors on waste literacy. The perceptions of teachers and National Operators (NOs) were analysed using thematic analysis and results showed both teachers and NOs thought the LLC had a positive impact on students overall and that student involvement determined the effectiveness of the LLC. Participatory teaching methods, specifically fieldwork and student ownership, were found to play a significant role in the LLC’s efficacy.

Keywords: waste literacy, multivariate data analysis, thematic analysis, participatory methods.