Contribution of Environmental Education on Environmental Sustainability in Rwanda: A Case of Bugesera District

Abstract

This research assessed the contribution of environmental education to environmental sustainability in Rwanda. A case of Bugesera District, Rwanda. Specifically, to examine the level of environmental knowledge and awareness among secondary school students regarding sustainability issues, to explore the effectiveness of teaching methods and materials used in delivering environmental education lessons in Bugesera district, and to assess the relationship between environmental education and environmental sustainability in Rwanda. The total number of participants was 600, comprising 90 teachers and 450 students. These participants were drawn from 30 selected schools across 15 sectors within Bugesera District, Rwanda. Purposive sampling was utilised to choose respondents, and questionnaire and documentation research approaches were used as data collection tools, as well as a pilot study. The findings were analyzed using SPSS version 21, and interpretations were produced based on the responses of the respondents. According to the results for the first objective, 66.1% strongly agreed and 18.8% agreed that they understand the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, 74.0% strongly agreed, and 28.4% agreed that they recognize the impact of human activities, such as deforestation and pollution, on ecosystems and biodiversity. 75.0% strongly agreed and 16.4% agreed that knowing the benefits of using renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, and the drawbacks of relying on non-renewable fossil fuels, 61.5% strongly agreed, and 21.9% agreed that being aware of the importance of recycling, composting, and reducing waste to minimize the environmental impact of waste management, 73.3% strongly agreed, and 17.7% agreed that being aware of the importance of recycling, composting, and reducing waste to minimize the environmental impact of waste management. To the second aim, 67.7% strongly agreed and 17.7% agreed that engaging students in hands-on activities like field trips, experiments, and simulations enhances my understanding of environmental concepts; 74.0% strongly agreed and 20.3% agreed that using visual aids such as images, videos, and diagrams can help me visualize and understand complex environmental issues. 76.0% strongly agreed and 16.1% agreed that relating environmental concepts to real-world examples and case studies, and 62.5% strongly agreed and 20.8 agreed that collaborative learning can also foster a sense of community and shared responsibility for environmental issues, and 71.4% strongly agreed and 17.2 agreed that incorporating interactive games and simulations into environmental education lessons can make learning more fun and engaging. Results to the third objective: the correlation and regression results established the existence of a positive correlation between environmental education and environmental sustainability in Rwanda, where the Pearson's p-value and significance were justified by pvalues less than 0.05, and the research results evidenced a positive correlation between environmental education and environmental sustainability in Rwanda, in the Bugesera district. The study urges that environmental education should be integrated into school curricula at all levels to teach students about environmental issues from an early age. Teachers should be trained in environmental science, and community participation is crucial. Interactive teaching methods, innovation, and collaboration with environmental organizations can enhance learning. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms can measure program effectiveness, contributing to environmental sustainability and a greener future.