Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES AND

PRACTICES OF TEACHERS UNDERGOING SANDWICH DEGREE
PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA

J. A. OLAWEPO

and

A. A. JEKAYINFA

Abstract
The environmental education-related attitudes and practices of 187 teachers
enrolled in sandwich degree programmes at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, were
investigated. Responses to a two-part questionnaire revealed that most of the
teachers had positive attitudes to environmental issues and endorsed desirable
environmental practices. The result of chi-square analysis showed that teachers
attitudes and practices were not significantly influenced by gender and year of
study, but area of specialization was a significant influence on both attitudes and
behaviours. Correlation and t-test analysis showed that attitude was positively and
significantly related. The study ended with the suggestion that English and Social
studies should be among the subjects for environmental education in the primary
and secondary schools.

Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Introduction
The goal of the National Policy on Environment for Nigeria is to achieve
sustainable development in the country, and also to secure for all Nigerians a
quality of environment adequate for their health and well being (Federal
Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA, 1989). The implementation of this
policy depends on specific actions directed toward major sectors and problem
areas of the environment. One of the sectors is the human population. By their
individual and collective behaviour, humans make significant positive or negative
impact on the natural resources and non-human environment of the country (Aina,
1989, Awosolu, 1997).
The Nigerian environment is characterized by pollution and degradation of
land, air and water. This state of affairs is engendered by a combination of
neglect, ignorance and harmful attitudes and socio-political practices (FEPA, 1989,
Salami, 1997). There is therefore the need to provide opportunities to acquire the
knowledge, values and commitment required to protect and improve the
environment. For this to be done in any significant way, there is the need to
collect baseline data on the prevailing environmental knowledge, attitudes and
practices of the targeted cohorts of the population. One of these is the teachers.
Teachers are role models for their students and the society in general. It is against
this background that this study was designed to identify and describe the
environmental attitudes of practising teachers on vocation degree programmes.

Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Statement of the Problem

There are several studies on the environmental knowledge, attitudes, values
and practices of students, teachers, parents and people in diverse situations. Such
studies include those of Larsen (1976). Ber-Eha (1980), Welch (1982), Noibi
(1982) and Salami (1977). Both Larsen (1976) and Salami (1997) found that
students held negative attitudes to environmental issues. Also both Noibi (1982)
and Salami (1997) discovered that teachers and students had a remarkably low
knowledge of the basic concepts of environmental education. Moreover, Salami
(1977), discovered that teachers and students had a remarkably low knowledge of
the basic concepts of environmental education. Moreover, Salami (1977) found
that secondary school students engage in practices which are inherently harmful to
the environment. This is not surprising given their low knowledge and their
negative attitude which have been pointed out above. The finding that students
displayed negative environmental attitude and undesirable practices is probably a
reflection of their teachers environmental attitudes and behaviours. It is in the
light of this that this study was designed to identify and describe teachers
environmental attitudes and practices.
Ben Elia (1982) found that education, income and age, were important
influences on students and peoples perception of environmental issues. The need
for mobility, the type of place people had spent most of their life, ethnic identity,
grade level, gender and teacher motivation did emerge as unimportant
characteristics in the study of environmental values (Welch, 1982) Grade level, a
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

part of education, has been found to be unimportant by Welch but Ben-Eha found
education to be important. It is the desire to probe the influence of education
further that the independent variables of area of specialization and year of study
were chosen as independent variables in addition to gender, which is the most
basic human trait.

Research Questions
The following research questions were raised for this study.
1.

What type of attitudes do teachers have towards environmental issues of

public concern?

2.

What kind of environmental practices do teachers exhibit?

3.

Do teachers in different areas of specialization possess significantly

different attitudes to environmental issues?

4.

Are these significant differences in teachers attitudes based on their year of

study?

5.

Are these significant differences in teachers attitudes based on gender?

6.

Do female teachers do significantly different environmental practices from

their male counterparts?

7.

Are there significant differences in teachers environmental practices based

on their areas of specialization?

8.

Do teachers at different levels of study do significantly different

environmental practices?
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

9.

Are the environmental attitudes of the teachers related to their

environmental practices?

Research Methodology
The subjects used for this study consisted of male and female primary and
secondary school teachers enrolled in part-time degree programmes of the
University of Ilorin.

These teachers were pursuing six different areas of

specialization and were at four different levels of their course of study. Their
population numbered about 3,400 in all. A stratified random sample of the student
teachers was made using years of study as the strata. From each of the levels of
study, student-teachers were picked proportionally, giving a sample of 230
subjects.
A questionnaire focusing on teachers attitudes and practices was designed
based on the one used by Salami (1977). Pollution, refuse disposal, bush burning,
use of fertilizers and insecticides, flora and fauna management, water
management, high population, urbanization, monthly national environmental
sanitation exercise and the need for environmental education, were issues raised
under environmental attitudes and environmental practices.
The attitude section of the questionnaire was made up of ten statements,
five of them positive and five negative. Each statement had a scale of five
responses attached to it, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The
section on four possible responses. At least one of the responses was negative.
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Although the questionnaire was based largely on an already validated instrument,

it was still submitted to a panel of six lecturers for face and content validity. Four
of them agreed that the questionnaire covered all the environmental issues of
public concern in Nigeria today.
The questionnaire was administered on the respondents with the help of
course lecturers. The respondents completed the questionnaire in a capture
audience arrangement and there was no consultation among them. The number of
properly completed questionnaire was 187.
A master data sheet, made up of three independent variables of gender, area
of specialization and year of study and two dependent variables of attitudes and
practices, was completed. To do this, the responses to the attitude subset of the
questionnaire was scored 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 corresponding to Strongly Agree, Agree,
Undecided, Disagree and Strongly Disagree, for positive statements. The values
were reversed for negative items. For any one respondents, the maximum score
possible was 50 (5 x 10), while the minimum score possible was 10 (1 x 10). The
scores 10 to 50 were dichotomized into 24 to 50 for positive attitude and 1 to 25
for negative attitudes. Unvaried frequency was done for each item in the attitude
protocol.
In addition, each of the responses to the ten questions in the environmental
practices section of the questionnaire was assigned a mark. The mark could carry
a positive or negative sign depending on the nature of the response. The scores of
the response were again dichotomized into minus 10 to + 01 for undesirable
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

environmental practices and 01 to 10 for undesirable behaviour. Univariate

frequency was done for each item.
Research questions one and two were answered by calculating frequencies
and percentages. Research questions three to eight were answered by employing
chi-square statistics at a confidence level of 0.05. Finally, research question nine
was treated by calculating Pearsons product moment correlation (r) coefficient
and converting it to a t-test ascertain whether Pearsons (r) was significant or not.

Results
The student teachers were in the following areas of study, arranged in
descending order of numerical importance of Social Studies (41.7%), English
(24.1%). Mathematics (17.6%), Yoruba (10.70%), Science (40.3%) and French
(1.6%). The female outnumbered the males as shown by the following percentages
respectively for females and males. 52.9% and 47.1%. These teachers were at four
different contact sessions or levels of study, viz first year (4.2%), second year
(9.3%), third year (45.9%) and fourth year (40.6%).
Research Questions One and Two
Most of the teachers (89.8%) had positive attitude to environmental issues
while the remaining teachers (10.2%) had negative attitude. Also, most of the
teachers (86.1%) disclosed that they engaged in desirable environmental practices
while only a few of them (13.9%) displayed undesirable environmental
behaviours.
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Research Questions Three, Four and Five

Gender and level of study did not significantly influence teachers attitude.
According to Tables 1 and 2, the chi square values calculated for gender and year
of study were 0.95 and 4.63 respectively.

But the influence of area of

specialization was significant, since the calculated chi-square (14.13) is greater

than the table value (11.07). Teachers of Social studies, Mathematics and English,
had more positive attitudes than those of Science and Yoruba.

Most of the

teachers of French had negative attitudes.

Table 1
Chi-Square Analysis of the Influence of Gender on Teachers Attitudes to
Environmental Issues
Gender
Male
Female
Total
X2

Frequencies of Teachers Attitudes

Negative
Positive
9
79
10
89
19
168
(1,0.05)
= 0.85

Total
88
99
187
Not Significant

Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Table 2
Chi-Square Analysis of the Influence of Year of Study on Teachers
Attitudes to Environmental Issues
Year of

Frequencies of Teachers Attitudes

Total

Study
st

1
2nd
3rd
4th
Total
X2

Negative
2
4
3
10
19
(3,0.05)

Positive
6
14
82
66
168
= 4.63

8
18
85
76
187
Not Significant

Table 3
Chi-Square Analysis of the Influence of Area of Specialization on
Teachers Attitudes to Environmental Issues
Area of

Frequencies of Teachers Attitudes

Total

Specialization
Science
Social studies
Mathematics
English
Yoruba
French
Total
X2

Negative
1
6
3
3
3
3
19 (10.2%)
(5,0.05)

Positive
7 (87%)
7 (91%)
30 (90%)
42 (93%)
17 (85%)
1 (33%)
168 (89.8%)
= 14.13

8
78
33
45
20
4
187
Not Significant

Research Questions Six, Seven and Eight

Again, the independent variables of gender and year of study were not
significant influences on teachers environmental practices (see Tables 4 and 5)
The calculated chi-square values.

Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Table 4
Chi-Square Analysis of the Influence of Gender on
Environmental Practice of Teachers
Gender
Male
Female
Total
X2

Frequencies of Teachers Practices

Negative
Positive
14
74
12
87
26
161
(1,0.05)
= 1.45

Total
88
99
187
Not Significant

Table 5
Chi-Square Analysis of the Influence of Year of Study on Teachers
Environmental Practices
Year of

Frequencies of Teachers Practices

Total

Study
st

1
2nd
3rd
4th
Total
X2

Negative
2
5
6
13
26
(3,0.05)

Positive
8
12
80
61
161
= 5.04
Table 6

10
17
86
74
187
Not Significant

Chi-Square Analysis of the Influence of Area of Specialization on

Teachers Environmental Practices
Area of

Frequencies of Teachers Practices

Total

Specialization
Science
Social studies
Mathematics
English
Yoruba
French
Total
X2

Negative
3
11
5
4
1
2
26 (13.9%)
(5,0.05)

Positive
5 (63%)
67 (86%)
27 (84%)
41 (91%)
19 (95%)
2 (50%)
161 (86.1%)
= 27.40
10

8
78
32
45
20
4
187
Significant

Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Calculated value of 27.40 is greater than the tabulate value of 11.07.

Teachers of Social Studies, English and Yoruba, exhibited more desirable
environmental practice than teachers of Science, Mathematics and French.

Research Question Nine

According to table 7, the correlation co-efficient showing the relationship
of attitudes and practices is 0.03. This is low, but positive. To decide whether it is
significant or not, the figure was converted into a t-test statistics, using the
following formula:

tcal =

r n 2
1 r2

where n = number of sampled teachers and r = co-efficient of correlation. That

calculated (t) value is 13.61, whereas the t tabulated is 1.65. This means that here
is a significant relationship between teachers attitudes and environmental
practices.

Table 7
Relationship Between Teachers Attitudes and Practices Concerning
Environmental Issues
Variables
Attitudes
Practices

N
187
187

Mean
1.91
1.86
11

Std Dev.
0.31
0.37

R
0.03

Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

t (185.0.05 = 3.61 Significant

Discussion of Findings
The findings of this study are as follows: (a) About 90% of the teachers had
favourable environmental attitudes; (b) About 86% of the respondents practiced
desirable environmental behaviour (c) Gender and year of student were not
significant influences on teachers attitudes and behaviour; (d) Area of
specialization significantly influenced teachers attitudes and practices concerning
environmental issues; (e) Teachers environmental attitudes were positively and
significantly related to their environmental practices.
The following discussions are based upon the assumption that the findings
of the present study are valid.

It is well known that peoples response to

questionnaires and interviews are subject to constraints and distortions

(Oppenhem, 1966). The measures taken to reduce these problems include the
compilation of the questionnaire in complete anonymity and without giving room
for consultations among the respondents.
The finding that most of the teachers had positive attitudes and desirable
environmental behaviour is not surprising. The respondents are matured adults,
not adolescents.

They are mostly married people.

They hold the Nigeria

Certificate in Education and or the Associateship Diploma in Education which

qualify them to teach Education and or the Associateship Diploma in Education
which qualify them to teach at the primary and secondary school levels. They

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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

have been teaching for upwards of five years. Moreover, these teachers have
come into regular contact with environmental education either in their teaching
duties or in the mass media (print or electronic). They are also participating in the
national monthly environmental sanitation exercise and the annual free planning
campaigns. For these reasons, the respondents, who are student teachers are
expected to have positive attitudes and practice desirable environmental
behaviours. These teachers, like Larsen (1976) found, tended to have positive
attitudes and Welch (1982) found that education had a significant influence.
The finding that Social studies, English, Yoruba and Mathematics teahers,
had more positive attitudes and exhibited more desirable practices than teachers of
Science and Mathematics, is not easy to understand and explain. Having said that
it is clear that Social studies teachers have learnt and taught a subject which
emphasizes the interaction of human, and the human, the physical and social
environment. For this reason, these teachers are likely to be more aware of the
consequences of man and environmental relationships which have a lot to do with
environment issues. In addition, teachers of English and Yoruba, are in a better
position to profit from the information and education dished out by the mass
media in English and Yoruba.
Lastly, that there is a positive and significant relationship between attitudes
and practices is easily explained, at least on theoretical grounds. As since most of
the teachers possessed positive attitudes, they are expected to practice responsible
environmental behaviour.
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Implications of the Findings

The national environmental education curriculum is part of the national
citizenship education which is expected to be taught at the junior and senior
secondary school levels (Adedayo and Olawepo, 1997). There is the need to make
the curriculum available to teachers of selected subjects to select and incorporate
aspects of it into their scheme of work and their teaching. English and Social
studies at the primary and junior secondary schools should be made two of the
carrier subjects of environmental education just as there are carrier subjects for
population education in Nigeria (Oroge, 1989). It is in this way that both the
teachers and their students will have enhanced attitudes and practices concerning
environmental issues.

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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

References
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Awosolu, E.O. (1997). Environmental Sanitation and Development.

An

Assessment of the Monthly Sanitation Exercise in Ilesa Urban of Osun

State. A paper Presented at the Sixth National Conference of the National
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Ben-Elia, N. (1980). Environmental Values and the Subjective Assessment of
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Nigerian Journal of Research and Development in Higher Education 3(1 & 2), 1999

Oppenhem, A. M. (1966). Questionnaire Design and Attitude Measurement,

London: Heinemann.
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