Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Instruction & Curriculum Leadership

Committee Chair

James Meindl

Committee Member

Diana Delgado

Committee Member

Laura Casey

Committee Member

Traci Cihon

Abstract

In 2018, paper and paperboard accounted for 23% of the municipal solid waste generated and 67% of recycled materials (EPA, 2020). Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of antecedent interventions on increasing recycling rates across various settings. However, public schools are often overlooked as sources of recyclable paper. Paper is a commonly discarded item in classrooms and a relatively easy item to teach discrimination in disposal, due to similar features of examples (printer paper, paper bags, paper cuttings) and non-examples (paper towels, plates, napkins, food wrappers). The results of two studies are reported in this paper. Both studies utilized concurrent multiple baseline designs across classrooms. The first study examined the effects of visual aids and visual feedback on recycling accuracy and total mass of recyclable paper collected from recycling bins and trash bins in two kindergarten classrooms. The second study investigated the effects of an instructional video, visual aids, and manipulating recycling bin number and proximity on reducing the amount of recyclable paper in trash bins in three kindergarten classrooms. The first study showed mixed results, with visual feedback showing little effect over the visual aid alone in changing recycling behavior. In the second study, the intervention package produced a high average percent accuracy in discriminating recyclable materials from non-recyclable paper products. Participants in both studies reported that the intervention was simple, effective, and sustainable. Future research should focus on replication, expanding to more classrooms, maintaining the intervention, and ensuring its sustainability.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Embargoed until 05-04-2026

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Available for download on Monday, May 04, 2026

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