Assessing the Pro-Environmental Behaviour of Junior Secondary School Students in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State

Abstract

The study assessed the pro-environmental behaviour of junior secondary school students in Dekina local government area of Kogi State. The study set out to examine students’ private sphere environmental behaviours and assess students’ levels of environmental activism.  Two research questions were raised to guide the study. The study employed a descriptive survey research design.  The population for the study comprises all five thousand nine hundred and fifty-three (5,953) students from thirty-five (35) public secondary schools in Dekina local government area of Kogi State. The area of the study was selected using a simple random sampling procedure.  Two hundred (200) junior secondary school students in the five selected public secondary schools were  selected using a convenience sampling procedure. The instrument used for this study was a questionnaire tagged “Pro-Environmental Behaviour Questionnaire (PEBQ)” (R = .80). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics of simple percentage, mean and standard deviation. The findings show a high disposition towards pro-environmental behaviour and a low level of environmental activism among the students.  Based on the findings, it was recommended that schools make students pro-environmental activists as part of the criteria to appoint prefects in their schools. Students who are environmentally responsible should be rewarded with motivation by the school authority. Also, schools should provide more orientation for the students on responsible dispositions to their environment.