IMPACT OF PARTICIPATORY NON-FORMAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME ON ADULT LEARNERS' ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigerian environment has been threatened as a result of human activities and natural disasters. This is worsened by the ignorance of the importance of environmental resources in their natural forms and lack of awareness of the consequences of peoples' behaviours due to poor environmental literacy and knowledge. Most of the previous attempts at modifying people's environmental knowledge, attitude and practices were directed at students in the formal education sector while the peripheral attention paid to the non-formal sector was basically non-participatory. This study, therefore, determined the impact of a participatory non-formal Environmental Education (EE) programme on adult learners' environmental knowledge, attitude and practices. It also investigated the moderating effects of level of participants' education and gender on the dependent variables. The pretest, posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design with a 2x2x2 factorial matrix was adopted for the study. One hundred and fifty-four non-formal adult learners in intact classes of JS1 to SS1 from two adult literacy centres in Oyo State were purposively selected for the study. The two adult literacy centres were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups and the study lasted twelve weeks. Six instruments were used: Participatory Non-formal Environmental Education programme; Instructional Guide for the Participatory Non-formal Environmental Education Programme; Conventional Lecture Method Guide (stimulus); Environmental Knowledge Test (r=0.79); Environmental Attitude Questionnaire (r=0.83) and Environmental Practice Questionnaire (r=0.78). Seven null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data collected were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). There was a significant main effect of treatment on non-formal adult learners' environmental knowledge (F(1,153)=209.30; p<0.05). Learners exposed to the participatory non-formal environmental education programme performed better ( =18.95) than those in the conventional lecture ( =8.48). Treatment also had significant effect on non-formal adult learners' environmental attitude (F(1,153) =106.25;p<0.05).The participatory non-formal environmental education programme was more effective in developing positive attitudes ( =69.10) than the conventional lecture ( =49.24). Also, there was a significant effect of treatment on non-formal adult learners environmental practices (F(1,153)=5.386;p<0.05).Learners in the participatory non-formal environmental education programme performed better in environmental practices ( =63.60) than those in the conventional lecture ( =59.06). Level of participants' education had a significant effect on their knowledge of EE (F(1,153)= 6.80:p<0.05). Participants with higher education obtained a higher mean environmental knowledge scores ( =14.61) while those with low education had ( =12.99). Similarly, participants' gender had a significant effect on their knowledge of EE (F(1,153)=2.940;p<0.05). Male participants obtained a higher mean score ( =13.93) than their female counterparts ( =13.75). The participatory non-formal environmental education programme is effective in impacting adult learners' environmental knowledge, attitude and practices. It is, therefore, recommended that a participatory non-formal environmental education programme be adopted by environmental educators in the teaching of non-formal adult learners.