ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: VALIDATION OF A 16ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT SOLID WASTE
Silva, E.(1); Oliveira, H.M. (1); Lima, J.R.(1) [email protected]
(1)
Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Campus de Patos - PB, Brasil.
ABSTRACT
One of the main instruments of data collection for diagnosis and measurement
of environmental attitude scale is the questionnaire. To ensure its accuracy it is
important that the items are developed and statistical validated in order to have
reliability of the information reported by its application. This study aims at
validating a questionnaire regarding solid waste and environmental practices
applied to public school students in the city of Patos, Paraíba – Brasil. The
questionnaire was developed initially with 16 items grouped into two
dimensions: D1: Social and Environmental Practices and D2: Solid waste. The
validation was performed using the α-conbrach reliability test. The
questionnaire was applied to 31 high school students from a public school.
The choice of interviewed students followed the criteria of randomness and
chance. The questionnaire was designed on the model of the Likert scale, with
a scale of five levels of response for each question. After validation of
questionnaire, the overall value of α-Cronbach also increased from 0.82 to
0.86 and good α-Cronbach for two dimension (D1 = 0.81 e D2 = 0.70). In
addition, there was a significant correlation between dimensions (r = 0.78, R²=
0.58; p<0.01). The final validated questionnaire was comprised for thirteen
questions.
Keywords: α-Cronbach, Likert Scale, High School.
Resumos Expandidos do I CONICBIO / II CONABIO / VI SIMCBIO (v.2)
Universidade Católica de Pernambuco - Recife - PE - Brasil - 11 a 14 de novembro de 2013
RESUMO
Um dos instrumentos de coletas de dados mais utilizado para diagnóstico e
medida de escala de atitude é o questionário. Para garantir sua acurácia é
importante que seus itens sejam bem elaborados e validados estatisticamente
para que se tenha certeza na confiabilidade das informações reportadas por
meio de sua aplicação. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo validar um
questionário com questões sobre a temática resíduos sólidos e práticas
socioambientais aplicado para alunos do ensino médio público da cidade de
Patos, Paraíba – Brasil. O questionário foi elaborado, inicialmente, com 16
ítens agrupadas em duas dimensões: Práticas Socioambientais e Resíduos
sólidos. O questionário foi elaborado no modelo da Escala de Likert,
apresentando uma escala de cinco níveis de resposta para cada pergunta, sendo
aplicado para 31 alunos do ensino médio de uma escola pública. A validação
do questionário foi realizada estatisticamente pelo teste de confiabilidade
interna alfa de Cronbach. O questionário foi validado com a otimização da
confiabilidade das dimensões, rejeitando-se 3 itens e aumentando o valor de αCronbach geral (0.82 para 0.86) e de ambas as dimensões (D1 = 0.81 e D2 =
0.70), apresentando correlação significativa entre as dimensões (r = 0.78; R²=
0.58; p<0.01).
Palavras-chave: α-Cronbach, Escala de Likert, Ensino Médio.
INTRODUCTION
Environmental education has been an essential mechanism to provide
favorable conditions for a sustainable society since the 70s (STOREY e
OLIVEIRA, 2004). It is a continuous learning process and seeks to
consolidate values and actions that contribute to the transformation of
socially
just
interdependent
and
ecologically
relationship
balanced
(FORUM
societies
that
have
INTERNACIONAL
DAS
ONG’s, 2005).
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Universidade Católica de Pernambuco - Recife - PE - Brasil - 11 a 14 de novembro de 2013
Among the many ecological problems, there is the rapid growth of the
volume of solid waste, caused by population growth and the increasing
consumption of durables and non-durable goods (JÚNIOR et al., 2010).
One of the main instruments of data collection for diagnosis and
measurement of environmental attitude scale is the questionnaire. To
ensure its accuracy it is important that the items are developed and
statistical validated in order to have reliability of the information
reported by its application.
This study aims at validating a questionnaire regarding solid waste and
environmental practices applied to public school students in the city of
Patos, Paraíba – Brasil.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The questionnaire was developed initially with 16 items grouped into
two dimensions: D1 - Social and Environmental Practices - Composed
of nine questions about attitudes relating the issue of solid waste with
consumption and socio-environmental attitudes of students (Table 1);
D2 - Solid waste - composed of seven questions on the knowledge and
attitudes related to solid waste and recycling (Table 2).
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Table 1. Items of Dimension 1: Social and Environmental Practices.
Questions - Dimension 1
D1. How do you feel in relation to their knowledge of current
environmental problems?
D2. How often do you seek to inform about the environment and
environmental problems?
D3. See if the company that buys the product has environmental
commitment?
D4. Stop buying a cheaper product for a more expensive and
environmental commitment?
D5. Usually check the package brings environmental information?
D6. Do some practice at home, focused on consumer awareness?
D7. Like reading news on the environment?
Table 2. Items of Dimension 2: Solid waste.
Questions - Dimension 2
D8. Importance of selective collection of waste.
D9. What makes organic waste in your home?
D10. Today, you know how to do selective collection?
D11. As understands the symbols on recycling present in packaging?
D12. Reuses the grocery bags?
D13. Know the environmental problems of using plastic bags?
D14. Aware of the use of reusable bags?
D15. Knows has knowledge about the problem of oil dumped in effluent?
D16. Cares for the garbage it produces?
The validation was performed using the α-conbrach reliability test. The
questionnaire was applied to 31 high school students from a public
school (Patos, Paraíba – Brasil). The choice of interviewed students
followed the criteria of randomness and chance, choosing students from
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Resumos Expandidos do I CONICBIO / II CONABIO / VI SIMCBIO (v.2)
Universidade Católica de Pernambuco - Recife - PE - Brasil - 11 a 14 de novembro de 2013
various groups having the high-school last year at the school
researched.
The questionnaire was designed on the model of the Likert scale, with a
scale of five levels of response for each question. The questionnaire
validation was performed statistically by testing the internal reliability
of alpha Cronbach (Equation 1) and analysis of the correlation values of
items for each dimension, determined by Equation 1 where: σi2 is the
variance of items and σx2 is the variance of the sum of items and n is the
number of items. From the values of Cronbach's alpha and the analysis
of the correlation values of the items for each dimension, there was the
need for rejecting questionnaire items to validate it with both
dimensions presenting an acceptable reliability level.
Equation 1
Any measure to be valid now, should be trusted. Alpha measures how
reliable a questionnaire as a measure of a given construct (MAROCO
and GARCIA-MARQUES. 2006; HORA et al., 2010).
The Ethics Committee of the Universidade Federal de Campina Grande
– (CEP HUAC) under the CAAE N º 15725013.4.0000.5182 approved
this study.
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Universidade Católica de Pernambuco - Recife - PE - Brasil - 11 a 14 de novembro de 2013
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of the statistical parameters of each questionnaire dimension
(D1 and D2) are in Table 3. The Cronbach-α for the overall
questionnaire, considering all the 16 items was equal to 0.82. However,
it seems that both dimensions, taken individually, showed lower values.
The Cronbach α- value for D1 is on acceptable range for a reliable
questionnaire (> 0.70), while the D2 showed undesirable value,
demonstrating that there is low reliability and consistency, which is
confirmed by the low value of the correlation between items (D15).
Table 3. Statistical validation parameters before and after deleting items.
Dimension 1
Parameter Statistical
Dimension 2
Total
7 items
Exclusion
6 items
Total
9 items
Exclusion
7 items
Mean
20.26
16.84
30.68
24.84
Sum
628
522
951
770
Standard Desviation
5.96
5.60
5.08
5.08
Variance
35.53
31.34
25.76
22.07
Inter-item Correlation
0.35
0.43
0.15
0.26
α-Cronbach
0.78
0.81
0.59
0.70
The item-total correlation values composing each dimension were
analyzed to optimize the reliability of dimensions (Table 4). Three
items were rejected (Q1 - Q4; Q2 - Q9 and Q15) in this analysis, which
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Universidade Católica de Pernambuco - Recife - PE - Brasil - 11 a 14 de novembro de 2013
reported very low correlation values, thus showing low inconsistency of
this item with others.
Table 4. Values of item-total correlation of items
Dimensions D1 and D2.
Dimension 1
Dimension 2
Inter-item
Inter-item
Item
Item
Correlation
Correlation
Q1
0.424
Q8
0.263
Q2
0.607
Q9
-0.124
Q3
0.671
Q10
0.365
Q4
0.177
Q11
0.484
Q5
0.575
Q12
0.260
Q6
0.543
Q13
0.732
Q7
0.569
Q14
0.213
Q15
0.196
Q16
0.301
After rejection, the partial Cronbach’s α coefficient (in each dimension)
increased to appropriate values to consider them independently
consistent. The overall Cronbach's α value (all questions D1 and D2)
also increased from 0.82 to 0.86. In addition, there was a significant
correlation between dimensions (r = 0.78, R² = 0.58 at p <0.01, Figure
1). Thus, the final validated questionnaire was comprised of a total of
thirteen questions.
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Universidade Católica de Pernambuco - Recife - PE - Brasil - 11 a 14 de novembro de 2013
Figure 1. Correlation between the responses of
dimensions D1 and D2 (N = 92)
CONCLUSION
After validation of questionnaire, the overall Cronbach's α value (all
questions D1 and D2) also increased from 0.82 to 0.86.
In addition, there was a significant correlation between dimensions (r =
0.78). The final validated questionnaire was comprised of a total of
thirteen questions.
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