Self-Concept, Self-Regulation and Waste Disposal Attitudes among Secondary School Students: Evidence from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of self-concept and self-regulation on students' attitudes towards waste disposal in public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised Senior Secondary School students in selected public secondary schools across ten Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State. Through stratified, purposive, and systematic random sampling techniques, a sample of 1,179 students was selected for the study. Data were collected using the Demographic and Psychosocial Variables and Students' Waste Disposal Scale (DPVSWDS), a 25-item questionnaire with a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of .84. Independent samples t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to test the hypotheses at the .05 level of significance. The findings revealed that self-concept significantly influenced students' attitudes towards waste disposal, with students possessing high self-concept demonstrating more positive attitudes than those with low self-concept, t(1177) = 3.732, p < .05. The results also showed that self-regulation significantly influenced students' attitudes towards waste disposal, F(2, 1176) = 33.326, p < .05. Post hoc comparisons indicated significant differences among students with high, medium, and low levels of self-regulation, with students exhibiting higher self-regulation reporting more positive waste disposal attitudes. The study concluded that self-concept and self-regulation are important psychosocial determinants of waste disposal attitudes among secondary school students. It was recommended that schools incorporate programmes aimed at strengthening students' self-concept and self-regulatory skills alongside conventional environmental education initiatives to promote responsible waste disposal behaviours.

self-concept, self-regulation, waste disposal attitudes, environmental behaviour, secondary school students, Akwa Ibom State

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