Environmental Practices on Solid Waste Management of Selected of Students
This quantitative descriptive study assessed environmental practices related to solid waste management among 346 freshman students at Basilan State College during the 2023-2024 academic year. Using a stratified random sampling approach and a validated questionnaire adapted from Gantang's instrument, the research examined four key domains: waste segregation, reduction, recycling/reuse, and disposal practices across demographic variables including gender, age, ethnicity, and college affiliation. Results revealed that students generally maintain positive environmental practices with an overall mean of 3.44 ("Often" practiced), with segregation practices showing the highest compliance (M = 3.52) and disposal practices the lowest (M = 3.35). Demographic analysis showed no significant differences in environmental practices by gender (p = 0.724), age (p = 0.407), or ethnicity (p = 0.241). However, significant differences emerged across colleges (p = 0.005), with post-hoc analysis revealing that College of Health Sciences students demonstrated significantly stronger environmental practices compared to College of Arts and Sciences students (p = 0.004). The findings suggest that while demographic factors generally do not influence environmental behaviors, academic discipline plays a crucial role in shaping students' environmental practices, likely due to curriculum-specific emphases on sustainability and public health concepts.