To What Extent does Legal Knowledge of Chemical Waste Disposal, Storage and Safety Requirements Affect the Chemical Waste Minimization Strategies, and Laboratory Pre-Selection Behaviors of Nicolet High School Science Teachers?

Abstract

This study determined if legal knowledge relating to chemical storage, disposal and safety requirements would encourage Nicolet's High School science teachers to utilize more chemical waste minimization strategies. The study evaluated twelve Nicolet teachers and twelve Milwaukee suburban area science teachers as a control group. A pre-assessment and post-assessment was given to both populations. Inservice was given to the Nicolet test population and consisted of two half-hour sessions and ten hours of a hands-on project to organize and update their chemical stockroom. A post-assessment, and observations of the control group and test group followed the inservice. Experimental results showed that the test population perceived themselves to increase their waste minimization an average of sixty-two percent. The control group perceived they increased their waste minimization fifty-two percent. Proactive practices by the test population averaged a seventy-seven percent increase over this study, while the control population increased by sixty-four percent. Preselection of chemical materials averaged an eighty-three percent increase by the test population and a forty-eight percent increase by the control population.