Plastics as an Educational Resource for Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Ghana

Abstract

The world is going through a climate crisis that is severely impacting the environment and the well-being of the population. The increased consumption of plastics, especially in developing countries, is generating an exponential rise in plastic waste. This article introduces a qualitative investigation in the form of a case study, with data derived from an educational project focused on plastics as a vehicle for environmental education. This project was implemented with a group of 50 children from a Ghanaian school. Our results reveal that the students acquired a high level of knowledge of plastic and its properties, made possible by an active, globalizing, experimental methodology. This knowledge was later reinforced through the fabrication of materials for learning and play made of recycled plastic waste. Through this project, the participating students practiced critical and democratic global citizenship aimed at creating a sustainable world through an ecological perspective.

Content Focus and Effectiveness of Climate Change and Human Health Education in Schools: A Scoping Review

“…Most of the studies included were intervention evaluations [48,50,53,54]. Three were case studies [47,51,52], one was a knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey [55], and one was a description of a curriculum implementation [49].…”

“…The review's nine articles were published between 2012 and 2022, with the most recent being published in 2022 [50,55], three published in 2021 [51,52,54], and two published in 2017 [47,53]. Kabir et al was published in 2015 [48] and Keselman et al in 2012 [49].…”

“…The research was conducted in various countries and represented diverse geographical areas. Two papers were published in China [50,54], and the rest were all published in different countries, namely Greece [47], Bangladesh [48], US [49], Ghana [51], Lao [52], United Kingdom [53], and Colombia [55]. All studies focused on primary and secondary school; however, varying school grades or age groups were studied, ranging from grade 1 to grade 11 and including ages up to 15.…”

“…These age groups mainly fell between the grade levels of 2 and 5. The rest of the studies [49][50][51][52] did not specify the exact age or school level of the participants, but they were described as school-aged children or young learners. The overall characteristics of the included studies are presented in Table 1.…”

Overview on the Key Figures with Impact on the Circular Economy Through the Life Cycle of Plastics

“…The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) applied in empirical studies [3] for evaluating the determinants of plastic waste sorting intentions among Nigerian students, offered suggestions to policy makers on the importance of introducing practices and implementing waste management measures in the Nigerian university. Remaining on the African side, we found an investigation form of a case study, with data derived from an educational project focused on plastics as a vehicle for environmental education, stated that an increased consumption of plastics, is generating an exponential rise in plastic waste [4].…”