Project-based learning as an approach to enhance ecological component in professional education

Abstract

93 undergraduate and graduate students of the Kyiv National University of Technologies andDesign were interviewed to assess students’ attitudes to using upcycling technologies and changes inthis attitude over the years of study. Students receive professional education in the clothing industry,studying technology, design, and vocational education and training. Despite the generally positiveattitude, studies have shown a lack of understanding of the benefits arising from the application of wasteadministration technologies. Both junior and senior students demonstrated similar bimodal distributionsconcerning perceived benefits. Approximately half of the students (sceptics) disagree with the benefits,and the other half (optimists) express barely noticeable confidence in the benefits. The changes to thecurricula of two disciplines for one of the specialities (vocational education and training) included severalclasses on problem-based and project-based learning and preparation and execution of ecology-relatedprojects. This experiment changed the existing preferences of students significantly, reducing to zero thenumber of sceptics and forming a one-peak Gaussian of optimists. Understanding the main problemsof waste management is essential in enhancing the ecological component of training future clothingindustry specialists operating under sustainable development conditions.