A Study on the Selection of Detergents by Utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process : Results of Junior High School and University Students

抄録

Since detergents have an environmental impact, it is important to select them based on a scientific understanding. Here, the primary goal is to make decisions by utilizing the viewpoint of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Therefore, this research incorporated ESD and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) of instruction to examine the results of four experiments conducted by junior high school and university students: 1) the solubility, 2) the rinsing, 3) the detergency, and 4) the environmental impact. During the class, junior high school students evaluated Detergent "A" and Detergent "B." The results showed that the priorities of the two detergents were 0.43 for Detergent A and 0.57 for Detergent B, and these results showed no significant change before and after the class. For university students, the priorities of the two detergents were 0.19 for Detergent A and 0.81 for Detergent B, which showed a significant change after the class was conducted. Overall, this research proved to be an effective approach to understanding the scientific decision-making.