Awareness vs. Action: Evaluating the Waste Management Practices and Engineering Ethics of Civil Engineering Students at NEUST

@article{1718502,
      author = {Francisco, Denver John L., Caba, Hakey L., Santos, Ej H., Penaflor, Kahlil Daniel M., Ramos, Ron Louis M.; Alejo, Alelie Joy C.},
      title = {Awareness vs. Action: Evaluating the Waste Management Practices and Engineering Ethics of Civil Engineering Students at NEUST},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {11},
      pages = {5030-5035},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1718502.pdf},
      abstract = {Environmental sustainability and responsible waste management have become increasingly important in engineering education due to the growing environmental impacts associated with improper waste disposal and unsustainable development practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Environmental Science education in shaping the environmental knowledge, waste management practices, and ethical decision-making skills of Civil Engineering students at Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST). A quantitative survey-correlational research design was employed involving 228 Civil Engineering students from the second, third, and fourth year levels. Data were gathered using a researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. Results revealed that the respondents demonstrated a very high level of environmental knowledge (M = 4.43) and ethical decision-making skills (M = 4.45), while waste management practices were consistently observed (M = 4.42). Significant positive relationships were identified between environmental knowledge and waste management practices (r = 0.712, p < 0.05) as well as between environmental knowledge and ethical decision-making skills (r = 0.762, p < 0.05). The findings indicate that Environmental Science education contributes significantly to strengthening environmental responsibility, sustainable practices, and ethical awareness among future engineers. The study highlights the importance of integrating sustainability-oriented environmental education within engineering curricula to support environmentally responsible engineering practice.},
      keywords = {Environmental Science, Engineering Ethics, Solid Waste Management, Sustainability Education, Environmental Knowledge, Civil Engineering Students},
      month = {May},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1718502}
  }