Environment and Ecology Research Vol. 12(5), pp. 492 - 501
DOI: 10.13189/eer.2024.120503
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Waste Management Practices and Effect on Teaching and Learning in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya

Susan T Njau ^*, George Onyango , Florence Itegi
Department of Educational Management Policy and Curriculum Studies, Kenyatta University, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Students spend most of their time in learning institutions and hence the health safety of learners is vital in enhancing teaching and learning. Waste management practices could pose a health threat to the learners due to contamination and bad odours. This study sought to establish the status of waste management practices and how it affects teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The study looked at the status of waste management practices in the provision of dustbins, the manner of waste disposal and the guidelines on waste disposal in public secondary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. The study targeted 197 Public secondary schools, 197 principals, 8580 form two students, 884 class teachers and 2 County Quality Assurance & Standards Officers (CQASOs). Stratified random sampling was used to select a sample of 19 schools, 19 principals, 152 students and 76 class teachers from the sampled schools while 2 CQASOs were purposively sampled. The study used convergent parallel design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data by use of questionnaires and interview schedule. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using content analysis and the quantitative data were analysed descriptively with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 28. The study established that most waste management was haphazardly handled with open sewers, open pits and burning of waste exposing students to contamination and illness. The study concluded that most of the schools had inadequate waste management systems, and the school environment is threatened by poor waste management which affected teaching and learning with students getting ill, lacking proper concentration and keeping off from school. The study recommended collaboration with county governments, environmentalists and involvement of the whole school community in management of waste and in the process counter effects of climate change.

KEYWORDS
Waste Management, Waste Disposal, Teaching and Learning

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Susan T Njau , George Onyango , Florence Itegi , "Waste Management Practices and Effect on Teaching and Learning in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya," Environment and Ecology Research, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 492 - 501, 2024. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2024.120503.

(b). APA Format:
Susan T Njau , George Onyango , Florence Itegi (2024). Waste Management Practices and Effect on Teaching and Learning in Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya. Environment and Ecology Research, 12(5), 492 - 501. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2024.120503.