Future Greek Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Self-Efficacy in Waste Management

This quantitative survey examined the knowledge, attitudes, perceived competence, willingness and everyday practices of 46 final-year pre-service teachers at Democritus University of Thrace (Greece) in relation to solid waste and wastewater management. Using a structured questionnaire, the study shows familiarity with most key waste terms, confidence to implement Environmental Education Programmes (EEPs) and personal recycling habits. Findings show basic literacy yet sizeable gaps in technical concepts (like Residual-waste landfills and Wastewater Treatment Plants. Perceived competence was moderate-to-low, particularly for wastewater, whereas willingness to participate in EEPs remained high. Common household recycling was stated as frequent, but specialised actions such as medicine, used-oil recycling or composting were rare. The enthusiasm–competence gap underscores the need for practical, skills-focused training in teacher preparation, enabling future educators to motivate effectively waste-management behaviours.