Are Future Teachers Involved in Contributing to and Promoting the Reduction of Massive Waste Generation?

María Ángeles García-Fortes, Unai Ortega-Lasuen, Patricia Esteve-Guirao, Oihana Barrutia, Ana Ruiz-Navarro, Daniel Zuazagoitia, Magdalena Valverde-Pérez, José Ramón Díez and Isabel Banos-González ()
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María Ángeles García-Fortes: Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Unai Ortega-Lasuen: Departamento de Didáctica de la Matemática, Ciencias Experimentales y Sociales, Facultad de Educación, Bilboko Hezkuntza Fakultatea, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, 48940 Leioa, Bilbao, Spain
Patricia Esteve-Guirao: Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Oihana Barrutia: Departamento de Didáctica de la Matemática, Ciencias Experimentales y Sociales, Facultad de Educación, Bilboko Hezkuntza Fakultatea, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, 48940 Leioa, Bilbao, Spain
Ana Ruiz-Navarro: Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
Daniel Zuazagoitia: Departamento de Didáctica de la Matemática, Ciencias Experimentales y Sociales, Facultad de Educación, Bilboko Hezkuntza Fakultatea, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, 48940 Leioa, Bilbao, Spain
Magdalena Valverde-Pérez: Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
José Ramón Díez: Departamento de Didáctica de la Matemática, Ciencias Experimentales y Sociales, Facultad de Educación, Bilboko Hezkuntza Fakultatea, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, 48940 Leioa, Bilbao, Spain
Isabel Banos-González: Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-19

Abstract: Massive waste generation linked to overconsumption is considered one of the most significant socio-ecological issues today, becoming a challenge for health and well-being and a barrier to achieving sustainability. Education is key to raising awareness and involving citizens in the adoption of responsible consumption habits, facilitating the recognition of the relationship between our daily activities and the production of waste. The aim of this exploratory study is to analyse the perceptions and commitments of future secondary school teachers (FTs) toward this issue and to explore the educational approaches they propose to address it in the classroom (n = 138). In this work, a mixed-methods approach was used based on quantitative and qualitative data collected through a questionnaire. The results show that FTs have difficulties in recognising the different factors involved in the problem of massive waste generation. However, they incorporate the health and ecological vision, which is close to the holistic vision of the One Health approach. The majority of them take personal responsibility for the problem, although they opt for low-effort options. Regarding the educational proposals they design, only a minority can do it following a commitment-oriented approach.

Keywords: pre-service secondary school teachers; commitments; perceptions; One Health; teaching strategies; waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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