Abstract

The study examined the awareness and knowledge of pre-service teachers about environmental management in selected Southwest Universities in Nigeria. In an attempt to achieve the objectives of this study, two research questions were raised. The study adopted descriptive survey design with the population which covered all the current undergraduate students of the Faculty of Education from four selected universities .The universities used for the study were University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye and Lagos State University, Ojoo. Eight hundred (800) participants were randomly sampled for the study. Two hundred participants were sampled from each selected university making eight hundred (800) from the selected universities. Climate Change Awaren4ess Questionnaire (CCAQ), Climate Change Knowledge Test (CCKT) and Environmental Management Questionnaire (EMQ) were used to elicit information from the participants. All the data collected were analyzed using frequency count, simple percentage, mean and standard deviation so as to answer the research questions formulated for the study. The findings of the study revealed that, there was high awareness of climate change among pre-service teachers in selected universities in the Southwest Nigeria, however, they have moderate knowledge of climate change. The study recommended that there is need to build climate change awareness through a well-designed curriculum for pre-service and that regular seminars should be held pre-service teachers. Also institutions should be concerned with issues with climate change so as to ensure a safe and healthy environment in the society. There should be improved understanding by the pre-teachers that knowledge of climate change could be acquired through formal and informal education but waiting solely for informal acquisition could be very costly. Pre-service teachers should be interested and committed to the education of adaptation as it necessary so as to ensure a safe and healthy environment in the society.