Assessment of climate change awareness level and action participation among students of Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe

Abstract

Climate change is a leading environmental threat on an international scale, but there is still a mismatch in translating increased awareness into active mitigation participation on the part of the youth. Explaining the knowledge base and participatory behaviours of students in climate action is critical in creating sustainable environmental stewardship. The study used a descriptive survey design to examine the level of awareness and involvement in action among students of Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe regarding climate change. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample of 150 students. An online structured questionnaire was used to gather the data through Google Forms, with a four-point Likert scale. The instrument was expert validated and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 revealed a strong internal consistency. The SPSS was used to calculate descriptive statistics to answer research questions, and Chi-square tests at the 0.05 significance level were used to test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that the awareness of climate change was rather high among the participants. Most of them said they had heard and learned about climate change and understood its effects on the environment including flooding and droughts. Nonetheless, the understanding of the scientific basis of the climate change and its key drivers, such as human-made activities and deforestation, was moderate. Involvement in mitigation activities such as sanitation of the environment, minimizing waste, awareness programmes, and mobilizing others to conserve the environment was also moderate. In addition, school programmes, information access, exposure to social media, government, and individual interest became important factors in determining how students participate in climate action programs. Significant awareness, participation and influencing variables within the cohort were supported by statistical analysis. The conclusion made is that despite the awareness of the students, augmented efforts are needed to support environmental education and institutional processes that drive active engagement in climate action. The recommendations that can be given are increased climate change curriculums, encouragement of environmental clubs and introduction of sustainability programmes in the institution in order to enhance student engagement.