Environmental Attitudes of Teachers and Students Towards Digital Technology Use in Science Education

Abstract

The use of digital technology in science education is known worldwide to have the potential of improving the pedagogical consequences. Nevertheless, this combination comes with environmental concerns on energy use and electronic wastes (e-waste). This paper looks at the environmental attitudes of the secondary school science teachers and students in Oyo Zone of Oyo State, Nigeria, as far as the use of digital technologies in science teaching is concerned. The research design employed a descriptive survey research design where 432 participants (108 teachers and 324 students) were sampled in the study within the selected secondary schools. Data collection was done using a validated questionnaire called the Teacher and Student Environmental Attitudes towards Digital Technology Questionnaire (TSEADTQ). Descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential (Pearson correlation, independent t-test) statistics were used to discuss the results. The findings show that although both teachers and students have very positive attitudes towards the pedagogical advantages of digital technology, their knowledge of the environmental impacts of digital technology (e-waste and energy use) is very low. In addition, positive attitudes towards the use of technology and pro-environmental attitudes were significantly and weakly correlated. The study does not show any significant difference between the overall attitudes of teachers and students towards the environment but observes that there is a significant difference in the level of awareness with teachers slightly more aware. Such results highlight a serious lack of connection between the use of technology and environmental awareness within the Nigerian educational setting. The paper ends with policy-maker, teacher training institution, and school administrator recommendations to incorporate sustainable technology practices into the science curriculum and school-wide policies so that the digital revolution of education is consistent with the principles of environmental stewardship.