Chapter 3: Results

RESULTS

This section contains the conclusions from the acquired data, which are grouped together in order to address the research questions. Personal Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control are the key variables in determining relevant results and data reinforced by data analysis.

Presentation of Data

Demographic Profile

The demographic profiles of the respondents are: age, educational attainment, and sex. The respondents’ ages are classified into three brackets: 25-40, 41-50, and 51-61. The educational attainment levels are: No Formal Education, Elementary, and Secondary/High School. Sex is divided into two categories: Male and Female.

Table 1: Demographic Profile in terms of Age

Table 1 shows that 15 of the respondents are aged 41-50 that is 50.00% of the total respondents. 9 of the respondents are aged 51-61 with 30.00%. And 6 are aged 25-40 covering 20.00% of the total respondents.

Table 2: Demographic Profile in terms of Educational Attainment

Table 2 displays that 15 of the respondents obtained Elementary-level education which covers the 50.00% of the total respondents. 8 respondents attained Secondary or High School level that is the 26.67% of the total respondents. And 7 respondents with no formal education covers the 23.33% of the total respondents.

Table 3: Demographic Profile in terms of Sex

Table 3 shows that 13 of the respondents are male covering 43.33% of the total respondents. While 17 of the respondents are female which is 56.67%% of the total respondents.

Pre-test Results

The pre-test results exhibit positive feedback towards their Personal Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control in Solid Waste Management. The mean score for Personal Attitudes is 3.526, Subjective Norms at 3.254, while 3.466 for Perceived Behavioral Control; all interpreting that respondents “Strongly Agree” with each variable. These scores indicate that the respondents generally “Agree” with the statements suggesting that there is a positive baseline prior to the intervention.

Table 4: Personal Attitudes on Solid Waste Management

Table 4 yields a total mean of 3.526, which has a verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree”. This shows that pre-intervention, participants possess a positive perspective towards their responsibility towards proper solid waste management. Items that identify the importance of collective action (3.60) and the belief that each action affects environmental issues (3.53) also carry high mean scores. This shows that the participants are highly aware of the effects of their individual and collective contributions before the intervention was carried out. 

Table 5: Subjective Norms on Solid Waste Management

The results in Table 5 hold a total mean of 3.254, which highlights a high level of awareness regarding the relation of social norms and solid waste management in BASECO pre-intervention. The data in particular were able to identify high mean scores in the items regarding the lack of knowledge in proper waste disposal as a cause of environmental issues (3.23), and the hindrance of solid waste management adoption due to social norms (3.30).  

Table 6: Perceived Behavioral Control on Solid Waste Management

The results of Table 6 under perceived behavioral control hold a total mean of 3.466, which show that the participants are confident in the effectiveness of existing solid waste management laws and regulations in BASECO. The highest mean scores are from the items stating that the Philippine Environmental Code of 1977 is a sufficient guide for environmental care (3.63), and that the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act is adequate in preventing plastic pollution (3.50). The data shows that the participants recognize that existing laws allow individuals to manage solid waste properly pre-intervention.

Post-test Results

The post-test results show that there is an improvement in the respondents’  Personal Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control. The total mean score for Personal Attitudes is at 3.872, Subjective Norms at 3.674, and 3.658 for Perceived Behavioral Control all arranged at “Strongly Agree”. This indicates that the respondents’ scores raised and the intervention had a positive effect upon them.

Table 7: Personal Attitudes on Solid Waste Management

In Table 7, there is an observable increase in the level of understanding regarding personal views and attitudes towards solid waste management, with a total mean of 3.872, which is higher than the pre-test results (3.526). The highest mean scores can be extracted from the items regarding the personal responsibility to act in order to provide solutions for waste issues within the community, and the belief that creating more effective laws and regulations regarding proper waste management would benefit the environment, with both having scores of 3.90. Results show that post-intervention, the level of awareness regarding personal responsibility has increased.

Table 8: Subjective Norms on Solid Waste Management

Results in Table 8 have seen an increase in the level of understanding regarding how social norms affect the adoption of solid waste management, with a total mean of 3.674 compared to the value of 3.254 from the pre-test. The highest means are present in the items regarding trash accumulation in drainages as a primary cause of floods (3.77), and the lack of effective solutions for accumulated trash in BASECO (3.70). The data present a more consistent understanding of the need for concrete solid waste management solutions within the community post-intervention.

Table 9: Perceived Behavioral Control on Solid Waste Management

Post-intervention, results  in Table 9 show that there is an increase in the value participants give to existing laws and regulations towards preventing pollution and enabling proper solid waste management, with a total mean score of 3.658. The mean of 3.73 for the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and 3.70 for the Philippine Environmental Code show a higher level of acceptance and acknowledgement for established regulations. The total mean is an increase from the value of 3.466 from the pre-test.

Statistical Analysis

The statistical analysis reveals that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the respondents in terms of their Personal Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control. The figures will show the results of both surveys implying that their personal and collective impact on environmental action had improved after the intervention.

Figure 1: Personal Attitudes

Figure 1 shows a Mean score of 3.53 in the pre-test, and 3.87 in the post-test. Using the p value, it can be stated that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the respondents in terms of their Personal Attitudes with a Mean difference of -0.347.

Figure 2: Subjective Norms

Figure 2 shows a mean score of 3.25 in the pre-test and 3.67 in the post-test. Using the p value, it can be stated that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the respondents in terms of their Subjective Norms with a Mean difference of -0.420.

Figure 3: Perceived Behavioral Control

Figure 3 shows a Mean score of 3.47 in the pre-test and 3.66 in the post-test. Using the p value, it can be stated that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the respondents in terms of their Perceived Behavioral Control with a Mean difference of -0.193.

Interpretation

Based on the results of the pre-test and post-test, there was an observable increase in the level of intention of the selected BASECO residents in terms of solid waste management after the implementation of the communication plan. Due to time constraints, only the workshop part of the intervention was carried out, which included a keynote talk delivered by the invited DENR representative to gauge personal attitudes, community planning for subjective norms, a waste segregation game for perceived behavioral control, and a pledge for general intentions. 

Regarding personal attitudes on solid waste management, participants exhibited high mean scores both in the pre-test and post-test. Nonetheless, the mean score has seen an increase from 3.53 to 3.87 post-intervention, with both falling under the verbal interpretation of “Strongly Agree”. In the pre-test, the highest mean score is present in the responses to the statement “I believe that collective actions regarding proper waste management will help in mitigating environmental issues” (3.60), followed by “I believe that individual actions can make an impact on solid-waste management issues” (3.53). For the post-test, These scores show a high level of awareness with regards to how the presence of individual responsibility and collective action impacts proper solid waste management. The majority’s strong agreement is in accord with Zhuang (2024), which showcases the weight of communal unity in driving action within ecological causes, as well as with Brotosusilo et al. (2020), a study that suggests having awareness of one’s personal actions significantly influences effective solid waste management. In the post-test, the highest means were present in “I  feel a personal responsibility to do an action that can mitigate solid-waste issues in my community” (3.90) which saw the highest improvement from 3.47, and “I believe that implementation of stronger regulations about proper waste management will result in a better environment” (3.90). These align with Nguyen et al. (2023),  wherein the study’s use of the theory of Social Practice highlighted that the lack of personal responsibility and coordination with the local government may lead to inconsistencies with practices such as proper waste management, and emphasize the importance of observing strict regulations to ensure a decline in pollution and creation of inclusive solutions like recycling as pointed out by Yamtana et al. (2023). 

Upon analyzing the results under subjective norms, high mean scores were also present in both the pre-test and post-test, yielding total means of 3.25 and 3.67 respectively, both verbally translating to “Strongly Agree.” These results signify a high level of awareness regarding how social norms affect solid waste management. For the pre-test, the highest mean scores were present in “Improper waste management is the most common cause of environmental issues in BASECO” (3.37), and “Social norms prevent the adoption of solid-waste management” (3.30). The findings align with Abubakar et al. (2022), in which their study connects improper waste management to the continuous degradation of the environment and increase in health complications, as well as with results found in Limon et al. (2020), which found that solid waste management was limited as their residents experienced a lack of support from their local government and community. Post-intervention, the highest means could be found in “Floods are the most experienced natural disaster in BASECO because of accumulated trash in drainages and waterways” (3.20), “There is still no effective solution for accumulated trash in BASECO” (3.17), and “The lack of knowledge on proper waste management possibly causes environmental issues in BASECO” (3.23). These findings mirror the assertions by Navarra (2016) which highlight the vulnerability of BASECO to floods due to accumulated waste, the reactive nature of initiatives within the community which urges for sustainable and systematic plans to address the root cause of issues brought upon by trash, as well the findings in a study by Molina & Catan (2021) which identifies low awareness on solid waste management as a direct reason that explains limited participation. This stresses the significance of having more campaigns and promotions in order to increase the awareness of the residents, which also serves as a form of solution to minimize solid waste mismanagement. 

The case is similar for perceived behavioral control, wherein mean scores were high across the pre-test and post-test. The total mean scores of 3.47 and 3.66 suggest a high level of  acknowledgement for existing laws and regulations, both verbalizing into “Strongly Agree”. In the pre-test, the highest scores were seen in “The current laws and regulations in BASECO preventing plastic pollution like the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act are adequate” (3.50), and “The current laws and regulations in BASECO like the Philippine Environmental Code of 1977 that gives a guide in taking care of the environment including solid-waste management are adequate” (3.63). For the post-test, the highest means were in “The current laws and regulations in BASECO preventing plastic pollution like the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act are adequate” (3.73), and “The current laws and regulations in BASECO like the Philippine Environmental Code of 1977 that gives a guide in taking care of the environment including solid-waste management are adequate” (3.70). These results prove to be significant as Versoza et al. (2024) suggests that not being aware of these regulations may be a prominent obstacle to effective compliance of residents in contributing to solid waste management. The turnout may indicate a current development in the spread of learning to residents regarding government initiatives through these policies.

Upon statistical analysis, it could be concurred that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores of the participants in terms of Personal Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control, with the p-values being less than 0.05 across all variables. The p-values were <.001, <.001, and 0.046 respectively. This means that there is a significant difference between the respondents’ level of intention toward solid waste management before and after the implementation of the communication plan, rejecting the null hypothesis and accepting the alternative hypothesis. For personal attitudes, the total mean score rose from 3.53 to 3.87, with a mean difference of -0.347. In terms of subjective norms, the increase was from 3.25 to 3.67 with a mean difference of -0.420. Lastly, the total mean went up from 3.47 to 3.66 under perceived behavioral control with a mean difference of -0.193. These results align with the findings of Brotosusilo et al. (2020), which identified individual understanding towards environmental issues as a factor that raises participation in solid waste management, as well as the role of social community activities in influencing engagement which was present in the activity catered for personal attitudes within the workshop. Similarly, the changes within subjective norms and perceived behavioral control solidify the ideas of empowerment and social norms as mentioned by Yamtana et al. (2023), in which it is said that the presence of policies that support waste management positively affect resident behavior. It is evident that the Social Behavioral Change Communication Plan was effective in promoting behavioral change, in which the respondents gained new perspectives and accomplished the intervention with newfound responsibility through different channels of communication, which was a workshop within this context. It was able to facilitate behavioral change through various activities as cited in Adu-Asare (2024). The results show that intergenerational knowledge aimed towards collective action was established, which reinforces Hayward et al. (2018), Danby and Mason (2011), and Thiery et al. (2021) as cited in Atkinson (2021).