DOES EDUCATION AFFECT THE LITTERING BEHAVIOR? EVIDENCE FROM THE TOP HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Littering is one of the major issues in Pakistan, which is often attributed to illiteracy and ignorance. This research aims to find out whether education and awareness affect littering behavior. We employed the 'Social Learning Theory and 'Ecological System Theory' to understand the relationship of education with environmental conservation behavior. Using stratified sampling, the quantitative research method was employed to survey 200 Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad students. Findings suggest that the gender of students, qualification level, institutional ranking, and awareness do not affect littering behavior. These results are inconsistent with the conclusions of the previous studies, which propose that education and awareness are positively correlated with anti-littering behavior. We suggest that environmental socialization strategies should be adopted in the early socialization policies for better environmental conservation practices.