Learning about waste management: The role of science motivation, preferences in technology and environmental values

Abstract

• Environmental attitudes impact knowledge acquisition about the waste management. • Science motivation interacts with environmental attitudes. • Intrinsic motivation influences pre-knowledge. • Male students differ from female in technology preferences. Waste education modules were designed to tackle waste production. Knowledge acquisition, the promotion of individual sustainable attitudes combined with technology and science motivation are supposed the key players in achieving science citizenship. We assessed the identified parameters by monitoring the learning effect of fifth-graders, the Two Major Environmental Value scale (2-MEV), the Science Motivation scale (SMOT) as well as the Technology Questionnaire (TQ). Preservation correlated positively with knowledge acquisition, while Utilization correlated negatively. Moreover, intrinsic motivation correlated positively with pre-knowledge levels. Male students preferred the social implications of technology, as well as self-efficacy. Female students focused on appreciation of nature.