Beyond Knowledge: Exploring the Attitude–Behavior Gap in Sustainable Waste Management among Indonesian Secondary School Communities

Sunantri Putri; Dewi Fadilah; Kamarudhin; Lucky Bringham; Talien Lie

doi:10.24667/jcen.v1i2.73

Authors

Sunantri Putri Research Center for Education, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
Dewi Fadilah Research Center for Education, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
Kamarudhin Research Center for Education, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia
Lucky Bringham Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Talien Lie Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24667/jcen.v1i2.73

Keywords:

Waste management literacy, Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, School communities

Abstract

This study examines waste management literacy among secondary school communities in Tangerang City, Indonesia, through the Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior (KAB) framework integrated with the 3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed, involving 357 respondents comprising principals, teachers, staff, and students from seven schools situated near the Rawa Kucing Landfill, supported by in-depth follow-up interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression techniques to determine the relationships between knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The results reveal that knowledge has a significant positive effect on waste management behavior, while attitude unexpectedly shows a negative relationship with behavior, indicating a pronounced attitude–behavior gap. Despite generally positive attitudes toward waste management, these attitudes are not consistently reflected in daily practices. Qualitative findings further identify key barriers at individual, social, and structural levels, including insufficient facilities and established waste-handling habits that limit effective implementation of the 3R system. The study emphasizes the importance of an integrated intervention strategy, including the provision of adequate 3R facilities in schools, teacher role modeling, alignment between municipal waste services and school initiatives, reinforcement from families, and integration of waste management education into the curriculum, to bridge the attitude–behavior gap and promote sustainable waste practices in school environments.

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