Waste Separation in Primary Education - A Pre-Post Design Study to Capture Students' Awareness of Recycling with Cartoons

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of teaching with scientific cartoons on the knowledge of 3rd and 4th grade primary school students regarding recycling. The study group is consisted of 105 students of the 3rd grade (N: 56) and 4th grade (N: 49) in a public primary school in Turkey. Scientific cartoons developed by celikler, Aksan and Yenikalayci in 2017 [1] were used in this study. Three activities were carried out within the framework of the study. The results of the study have revealed that there is an increase in types and samples of waste that students have drawn in a limited manner (plastic bottle and glass bottle) and that they made some correct drawings. It was found that all the students who regarded solid waste as trash and drew them in the waste bin classified wastepaper bin (paper, plastic, glass, metal), collection bin for waste batteries and waste bin for organic waste separately. Moreover, it was noted that they were aware of the recycling symbol and that there was an increase in symbol drawings as well as an increase in drawings of recycling vehicle due to its usage in terms of transportations of the wastes to be recycled. It has been quite striking that children gave rather strong messages such as "Recycling provides a clean nature", "We want a clean nature", "I contribute to recycling even if I am child", and "Paper is made of trees, we should not waste them" after the implementation of the study.