Introducing waste management education to a secondary school in the Solomon Islands: a quasi-experiment

This study evaluated a short school-based waste-management education course in Solomon Islands, using the knowledge-attitude-behavior framework and a quasi-experiment. All Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes in two schools were included (N = 176; intervention n = 79, control n = 97). The intervention combined classroom instruction and interactive activities. Questionnaire items were organized into seven theory-informed indices. Difference-in-differences models found statistically significant positive improvements in knowledge and place-based problem/concern perception. A brief activity-based course can strengthen waste-management knowledge and locally grounded concern, whereas changes in attitudes, intention, and behavior may require a longer intervention and greater contextual support.