Transformation of Environmental Education for Waste Management in Primary Schools in Liaoning Province, China: Insights from Textbook Analysis and Teacher Surveys

Abstract

  With China’s rapid economic growth, waste management has become an urgent issue, promoting major cities to enforce household waste separation policies. This study examines the transformation of environmental education for waste management in primary schools in Liaoning Province before and after the introduction of these policies. A comparative analysis of textbooks reveals a substantial improvement in environmental education content related to waste management. The current textbook (published in 2016), together with a supplementary reader (published in 2019), provides more comprehensive coverage than the previous edition (published in 2002), both in terms of grade levels, content volume, and the inclusion of empowerment-oriented factors. Interviews with teachers responsible for the subject “Morality and Rule of Law” also indicated that the current textbook offers more comprehensive content than the earlier edition. All respondents emphasized the importance of environmental education for waste management in primary schools and noted observable behavioral changes among students as a result of learning activities. Teachers with access to the supplementary reader adapted its content to develop their own teaching materials and integrated environmental education for waste management across multiple grade levels through a variety of classroom activities. These findings indicate that environmental education for waste management in primary schools has become more systematic and action-oriented, aligning more closely with national waste management policies.