Understanding Primary School Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Water Management: Insights from Environmental Education

Abstract

Environmental education is a vital strategy for conservation and protection, creating collaborative spaces for scientists, community members, and other stakeholders. Across various countries, educational curricula include courses aimed at teaching the younger generation about environmental protection. Interactive and practical educational programs, along with the involvement of parents and the community, enhance learning and create connections between school and daily life. Curriculum changes are influenced by several factors, including children’s understanding and application of these concepts. Various methods, such as questionnaire analysis, have been developed for this purpose. This study assessed the knowledge levels and behaviors regarding the environmental factor “water” among primary school students in Bacău, Romania. Conducted through a questionnaire method, the survey included 308 students from grades 2 to 4. The findings highlight the significance of environmental education in primary schools, preparing children to act responsibly towards the environment. It is recommended to implement interactive educational programs and foster partnerships with the community and local organizations to promote water conservation and reduce consumption, thereby cultivating a long-term sustainable culture.

1. Introduction

Environmental problems pose threats with significant impacts on the natural balance and all forms of life [1,2]. Despite efforts to combat these problems, the results are partial, and new environmental problems continue to emerge [1,3]. According to data provided by the World Bank, there has been a rapid increase in the human population during the 20th century, which has created a major global environmental problem [1,4]. This major global environmental problem has also been caused by unregulated industrialization and globalization processes, despite technological and scientific advances [3,4]. Biodiversity loss, water stress, deforestation, air pollution, global climate change, and others directly or indirectly related to the environment are increasing exponentially [1,5,6]. Addressing these issues is crucial because their negative impact on human health and the environment is obvious [2,3,6].

It is therefore imperative that people mobilize quickly to find solutions to today’s environmental problems [4,5]. One way we can overcome these problems is to obtain the right knowledge of all environmental factors and determine how we can best protect the environment [2,6].

A highly effective way to achieve this goal is to implement a well-structured environmental education system designed to provide students of all ages with knowledge and information about environmental issues [7,8]. This educational process aims to increase awareness of the importance of the environment [3,4,8]. It is well known that education is an essential component in addressing and solving environmental problems [8,9]. The knowledge gained through learning about the environment will positively influence pupils’ attitudes, values, and behaviors towards environmental protection [8]. Environmental education can therefore be considered one of the main pillars in the fight to preserve and protect the environment [1,9].

Environmental education in schools plays a key role in building individual and collective environmental awareness and responsibility [5,8,9]. Numerous studies have investigated various aspects of this discipline, from the effectiveness of environmental education programs to the long-term impact on student behavior and attitudes [10,11,12,13,14,15,16].

A key issue studied is the effectiveness of environmental education programs in schools [17,18]. These studies assessed how these programs influence students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to environmental protection [19,20]. The results showed that well-designed and implemented programs can significantly increase students’ awareness and understanding of environmental issues [21,22,23]. For example, a study by the authors of [24] showed that students who participated in environmental education programs had higher levels of awareness of environmental issues and sources of pollution compared to those who did not.

Another important aspect is the analysis of teaching methods and teaching resources used in the environmental education process [25,26,27,28]. Studies have investigated what the most effective approaches are to transmit environmental knowledge and values. For example, various studies have examined the impact of using role-playing games in environmental education and found that they can be powerful tools for developing an understanding of environmental issues and problem-solving skills [29,30,31,32,33].

Another important area of research is the long-term impact of environmental education in schools on civic behavior and engagement [24,34,35]. For this reason, a number of studies have been conducted that have focused on tracking students who have participated in environmental education programs and assessing how this experience has influenced their long-term behaviors [31]. These studies have found that students who have had an environmental education are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviors in their daily lives and engage in environmental actions in their community [24].

Water stress is a major problem facing modern society, with significant consequences for the environment and human life [36]. This problem occurs when the demand for water exceeds its availability in each region or area, leading to crisis situations and negative impacts on ecosystems, the economy, and the quality of human life [37,38]. Knowledge of water-related environmental issues is essential for students as it helps them to understand the impact of their actions on natural resources [39]. Water is a vital component of the ecosystem and human life, and pollution and overuse threaten both the environment and human health [40]. By understanding the water cycle, the effects of pollution, and the importance of conserving this resource, students become aware of their responsibility to protect the environment [41]. Their behavior regarding the use of drinking water resources is crucial for its conservation [38]. Education on the rational use of water and the reduction of pollution contributes to the formation of responsible citizens and to the protection of the environment for future generations [41,42].

In this context, this paper aims to identify the level of knowledge and behavior towards the environmental factor “water” of urban students in a primary school in Romania. The research was carried out based on a questionnaire that the children completed physically (due to the low age level of the children who participated in the questionnaire).

The following is a summary of a series of articles, carried out from 2010 to the present, based on studies carried out using the questionnaire method and referring to the level of knowledge of environmental factors. Only research based on assessments carried out in primary schools and addressed to pupils or teachers was considered [12,13,14,15,16]. It was thus found that in the last two decades, there have been countless studies in primary schools at the level of environmental knowledge.

Table 1. Survey-type studies carried out at the level of primary school students.

Crt. nr.	Year/Location	The Sample of Respondents	Number of Questionnaires	The Environmental Problem Addressed	Number of Questions/Water Questions	References
1.	2023 Thailand	students aged between 5 and 11 years	56	attitude towards the environment; environmental knowledge, in general	26/NO	[12]
2.	2023 Modena, Italy	students aged between 10 and 11 years	420	waste management	-/NO	[13]
3.	2022 Novi Sad, Serbia	third grade and sixth grade students	127	biodiversity, environmental knowledge, in general	12/NO	[14]
4.	2019 Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia	sixth grade students	184	education for sustainable development	-/NO	[15]
5.	2018 Athens, Greece	fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students	241	waste, renewable energy	13/NO	[16]
6.	2016 Da Nang, Vietnam	first through fifth grades	247	sustainable development	32/YES	[17]
7.	2015 Bavaria, Germany	fourth grade students	133	attitude towards the environment; environmental knowledge, in general	20/YES	[18]
8.	2014 Zonguldak, Turkey	students from the third and fourth grade primary school	130	participation of students into recycling activities	15/NO	[19]
9.	2011 Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa	fifth and sixth grade students	145	attitude towards the environment; environmental knowledge	25/NO	[20]
10.	2010 Ankara, Turkey	students aged between 8 and 13 years	64	knowledge about ecological and environmental concepts	15/NO	[21]
11.	2010 Kraków, Poland	students aged between 11 and 13 years	220	knowledge regarding waste management in Poland	11/NO	[22]
12.	2010 Ibadan, Nigeria	primary school students	480	air pollution	-/NO	[23]
13.	2018 Lebanon and Australia	final-year primary student	87/169	environmental knowledge, in general	-/YES	[24]

shows a series of studies that refer strictly to questionnaires addressed to 308 primary school pupils. Some of the questionnaires were carried out prior to training on environmental issues, and others were carried out without prior training [17,18]. After the analysis of the scientific articles found in the literature, it was observed that most of the surveys were carried out on small groups of respondents, ranging from 50 to 250 questionnaires. Only two of the studies had 420 and 480 respondents, respectively. The ages of the children interviewed ranged from 5 to 13 years. The questions addressed in the surveys presented in Table 1 covered general topics on environmental protection, waste, biodiversity, air pollution, renewable energy, and students’ attitudes towards environmental protection. An analysis of all the questions in the questionnaires identified that in 3 of the 14 surveys, there were questions related to the environmental factor “water”.

For this reason, the present work aims to carry out a study strictly related to the level of knowledge and behavior of primary school students towards the environmental factor “water”.

2. Materials and Methods

The method used in this study was the questionnaire method, referring to the level of knowledge of environmental factors, more precisely, “water”. The questionnaire method is an effective and common technique of data collection in research on students’ behavior and perceptions regarding the use of natural resources and associated environmental problems. The study on the knowledge levels and behavior of students towards the environmental factor “water” was carried out at the Primary School No. 10, in Bacău municipality, Bacău County, Romania. The study involved 308 students from the second (113 students), third (109 students), and fourth (96 students) grades.

In this study on the awareness and behavior of primary school students towards the environmental factor “water”, a questionnaire was developed which included eight questions to assess their perceptions and practices, grouped as follows: (i) the first three questions were designed to identify the characteristics of the respondents used in this type of questionnaire, i.e., identification of age (between 7 and 11 years), gender (male or female) and area of origin (urban or rural); (ii) the following three questions were used to identify gaps in water-related knowledge and practices among primary school students. Therefore, the following questions were asked: “Are you concerned about water pollution issues?” and this question was answered with a Yes or No option; “Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth?” and this question was answered with a Yes or No option; “What do you choose to do?”—this question aims to identify how personal hygiene is achieved, which is why the answers to this question were “Shower” and “Bath in tub”; (iii) the last two questions aimed to identify inappropriate behavior with regard to water pollution, therefore the following questions were used, with specific answers to them: “What items do you flush down your toilet?” to which the answers were “earwig”; “wet wipe”; “make-up remover disk”; “food scraps”; “rags” and “other”; “What do you or your parents throw in the kitchen sink?” with the following answers: “oil”; “coffee grounds”; “food scraps”; “nothing” and “other”. While only one answer had to be chosen for the first six questions, multiple answers were chosen for the last two questions. As can be seen from the structure of the questionnaire, the complexity of the questions used was designed to be understood by children of the age of the study (between 7 and 11 years old).

The study, which assessed the level of knowledge and behavior of students towards the environmental factor “water”, was conducted in the second semester of the school year 2022–2023, during the activities carried out within the Green Week program. The statistical processing of the data obtained in this study was carried out using OriginLab 2019b software.

3. Results

Following the analysis of the results obtained in the study, it was found that the number of validated questionnaires that could be subjected to the study was 308. The results of the survey are shown in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5 and Figure 6 and detailed below. Figure 1 presents a schematic representation of information about the respondents.

Figure 2 shows the data centralized on the first group of questions (group aimed at identifying the type of respondent). Following the analysis of this group, it is found that: the proportions of the two genders (boys and girls) who participated in the study are approximately equal, i.e., 50.65% boys and 49.35% girls; the majority of respondents, i.e., 81.8%, come from urban areas; according to their age group, it can be observed that most of the respondents, 111 students, are 10 years old, followed by those aged 9 years, with 94, the number of participating students aged 11 years is 64, 38 responses were received from students aged 8 years, and the lowest number of participants was found in the age group of 7 years, i.e., 1.

3.1. Graphical Analysis Using OriginLab 2019b

3.1.1. “Are You Concerned About Water Pollution?”

The following is an analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire concerning the question “Are you concerned about water pollution issues?” (Figure 2): the answers to this question, as well as those found within the questions in the output, are analyzed from the perspective of information on the respondents, which is why an alluvial representation was chosen (OriginLab software).

Figure 2. Distribution of answers to the question “Are you concerned about water pollution issues?”.

Figure 2. Distribution of answers to the question “Are you concerned about water pollution issues?”.

Overall, 88.96% of those interviewed answered positively to this question, which was analyzed by the corresponding group:

• Gender—it can be seen that 96.05% of girls responded positively and only 82.05% of boys;
• Area where they live—89.25% of urban and 87.5% of rural respondents answered positively to this question;
• Age group—the highest number of respondents who answered positively were those in the 10 years’ age group, followed by those in the 9 years’ age group, 11 years’ age group, 8 years’ age group, and finally the 7 years’ age group;

An overall analysis of this topic showed that the largest groups of students who answered “Yes” to this question belong to the following groups:

• The group of 10-year-old girls from an urban environment, composed of 47 respondents;
• The group of girls aged 9 years in urban areas, composed of 39 respondents;
• The group of boys aged 9 years in an urban environment, composed of 41 respondents;
• The group of boys aged 10 years in an urban environment, composed of 34 respondents.

A combined analysis of the data presented in Figure 2 leads to the following conclusions:

• In relation to the gender of the respondent, there is an equal distribution in terms of number, this characteristic being specific to students living in urban areas;
• Referring to pupils living in rural areas, it is observed that the number of girls is 8 less than the number of boys, which is 32;
• By carrying out the analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire corresponding to the respondent’s gender and age, we obtained:

  ✓

  The highest number of boys, 51 with 9-year-old students and 51 with 10-year-old students, followed by those aged 11 with 36 and those aged 8 with 17, and the lowest number, 1 participant, was identified at age 7;

  ✓

  For the girls’ group, the highest number of participants was identified as being in the 10-year-old group, followed by the 9-, 11-, and 8-year-old age groups, with 60, 43, 28, and 21 participants, respectively;

  ✓

  A combined analysis of the three characteristics (gender, location, and age) shows that: the largest group of 50 respondents is identified as being in the group of female respondents aged 10 and living in urban areas. Two other large groups were also identified in the case of male respondents corresponding to the ages of 9- and 10-years-old living in an urban environment, these being characterized by a number of 44 and 42 respondents, respectively; the smallest groups of respondents are specific to those living in rural areas, characterized by a maximum number of 10 respondents identified in the group of girls aged 10 and in the group of boys aged 11.

3.1.2. “Do You Turn off the Water When You Brush Your Teeth?”

Analyzing the answers corresponding to the question “Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth?” as in the previous question, the proportion of positive answers is very high compared to the negative ones, i.e., 92.2% (Figure 3a,b). This proportion analyzed by each group results in the following data: 98.02% of girls and 86.53% of boys turn off water when brushing their teeth (Figure 3b); irrespective of rural or urban background, about 92% of respondents turn off water when brushing their teeth; in the age category, it is found that the highest proportion is found among those aged 8 years, and we have 94.73% of them, followed by those aged 9 years, and here we have 92.55% of them, among those aged 10 years 91.89% of them were identified, and among those aged 11 years only 90.62%. The only respondent aged 7 answered positively to this question.

Figure 3. Distribution of answers to the question “Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth?”. (a) The result based on the answers of girls and boys depending on where they live and age; (b) the result according to the answers of girls and boys depending on the answer positive or negative.

Figure 3. Distribution of answers to the question “Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth?”. (a) The result based on the answers of girls and boys depending on where they live and age; (b) the result according to the answers of girls and boys depending on the answer positive or negative.

3.1.3. “What Do You Choose to Do?”

In the general analysis of the graphical representation in Figure 4 it can be said that the highest number of individuals who answered positively to this question corresponds to the group of 10-year-old girls in urban areas; here, 50 respondents were identified; another major group is given by individuals belonging to the group of 9 year-old-boys from urban areas; three more groups were identified with several respondents between 30 and 40, this group is made up of urban 9-year-old boys—40; urban 9 year-old-girls—37, and urban 10-year-old boys—34; the other groups contain a small number of individuals under 23.

Figure 4. Distribution of answers to the question “What do you choose to do?”. (a) The result based on the answers of girls and boys depending on where they live and age; (b) the result according to the answers of girls and boys depending on the answer shower or bath in bathtub.

Figure 4. Distribution of answers to the question “What do you choose to do?”. (a) The result based on the answers of girls and boys depending on where they live and age; (b) the result according to the answers of girls and boys depending on the answer shower or bath in bathtub.

Analysis of responses corresponding to the question “What do you choose to do?” (Figure 4a,b) will be carried out for each type of response.

The 112 responses for “Bath in bathtub” are distributed as follows:

• Overall, 51.78% are female and 48.21% are male;
• Concerning the environment of origin, 83.9% of respondents come from urban areas and 16.1% from rural areas;
• Most of the respondents who are 10 years old use this way of performing body hygiene, that is 41 respondents, followed by those aged 9 years, where we have 32 respondents, then those aged 11 years with 26 respondents;
• Those aged 8 years with 12 respondents, and finally those aged 7 years;
• Overall, the group of 10-year-old girls from urban areas who use this way of carrying out personal hygiene is predominant, with 21;

Analysis of responses for “Shower”:

• In this case, the gender distribution is the opposite compared to the responses obtained for “Bath in bathtub”, i.e., 47.95% represents the share of female individuals and 52.05% of male individuals;
• Concerning the environment the weighting is approximately the same as for “Bath in bathtub”, i.e., 80.6% urban and 19.4% rural;
• When analyzing by age group, it was found that the largest number of individuals is made up of those aged 10 (with 70 respondents), followed by those aged 9 (62 respondents), 11 (38 respondents), and 8 (26 respondents);
• Overall, three large groups were identified with 27 respondents, as follows: group of boys aged 11 from urban areas—27 respondents; group of boys aged 10 from urban areas—28 respondents; group of girls aged 10 from urban areas—29 respondents.

3.1.4. “What Do You or Your Parents Throw in the Kitchen Sink?”

The analysis of the answers corresponds to the question “What do you or your parents throw in the kitchen sink?” (Figure 5a,b) will be performed as in the previous case, with a separate analysis for each group and then a general one:

• Regardless of the gender under analysis, it is found that the largest share of responses is for “Nothing”, with 35.53% for girls and 30.77% for boys. The second category found from the data analysis is “Coffee grounds” with approximately the same share for both groups—29.6% for girls and 29.49% for boys. The other products analyzed were “Food waste” at 15.79% for girls and 25.64% for boys, and “Oil” at 19.08% for girls and 14.1% for boys;
• Analyzing from the point of view of the area where the respondent lives, the highest number of responses was obtained for “Nothing”, at 79, i.e., 31.35% of those living in urban areas and 23, i.e., 41.07% of those living in rural areas. For “Coffee grounds”, 30.56% of those living in urban areas and 25% of those living in rural areas chose this answer. For the other answer options we have for “Food waste” 51 urban and 13 rural respondents, and for “Oil”, there are 45 urban and 6 rural respondents;
• When analyzing the responses by age group, due to the large number of data and the complexity of interpretation, it was decided to present the most representative values, i.e., the highest percentage values were obtained for: the group of students aged 11 years, 43.75% of them chose the answer “Nothing”; the group of students aged 10 years, 34. 23% of them opted for the answer “Coffee grounds”; the same answer was chosen by 32.98% of the pupils aged 9 years; also, only 30.85% of the pupils aged 9 years opted for the answer “Nothing”; for the other age groups and answers, the share is below 30%.

Figure 5. Distribution of answers to the question “What do you or your parents throw in the kitchen sink?”. (a) The result based on the answers of girls and boys depending on where they live and age. (b) The result according to the answers of girls and boys depending on the answer.

Figure 5. Distribution of answers to the question “What do you or your parents throw in the kitchen sink?”. (a) The result based on the answers of girls and boys depending on where they live and age. (b) The result according to the answers of girls and boys depending on the answer.

Performing the general analysis on all filter elements corresponding to the characteristics of the respondents, the following could be identified:

• A total of 19 female respondents aged 10 living in urban areas chose the answer “Coffee grounds”;
• A total of 15 female respondents aged 9 living in urban areas chose the answer “Nothing”;
• For the same answer, “Nothing”, a group of 14 female respondents aged 10 living in urban areas were identified;
• For the response “Coffee grounds”, the largest group of 20 respondents was identified in the category of 9-year-old males living in urban areas;

Two other groups of 13 and 12 boys aged 10 living in urban areas chose the answers “Nothing” and “Food waste”, respectively.

3.1.5. “What Items Are Flushed Down Your Toilet (WC)?”

The analysis of the responses corresponds to the question “What items are flushed down your toilet (WC)?” (Figure 6) shows that the largest share of products of 29.38% is represented by “other” (these represent other products not included in the list we identified), followed by “wet tissue” in the proportion of 23.45%. Those who opted for the answer “Nothing” are 18.6%. For the other answers, the sum of their responses is 28.57%.

Figure 6. Distribution of answers to the question “What items are flushed down your toilet (WC)?”.

Figure 6. Distribution of answers to the question “What items are flushed down your toilet (WC)?”.

3.2. Statistical Analysis Performed Using OriginLab Software

In addition to the graphical analysis presented above, a statistical analysis was performed using OriginLab software. Since the questions used in the questionnaire are large, for a clearer representation of the results obtained from the statistical analysis, and for better graphical visibility, it was decided to code the questions, which are presented in

Table 2. Coding mode of the questions.

Question	Gender	Age	Do You Live in?	Are You Concerned About Water Pollution Issues?	Do You Turn off the Water When You Brush Your Teeth?	What Do You Choose to Do	What Do You or Your Parents Throw in the Kitchen Sink?
Code	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q5	Q6	Q7

. Due to the multiple answers to the question “What objects are flushed down your toilet?”, this question could not be used in the statistical analysis.

The statistical analysis assumed a “Hierarchical Cluster” analysis from which there were two main clusters (see Figure 7):

• The first formed from questions Q4 and Q5, the second formed from questions Q6 and Q7;
• Regarding the two secondary clusters: question Q2 is added to the first cluster, and question Q1 is added to the second cluster;
• Question Q3 is outside the obtained clusters;
• Analyzing the obtained result, it can be said that question Q1 has a significant impact on the answers obtained to questions Q6 and Q7; question Q2 has a significant impact on the answers obtained to questions Q4 and Q5;

The analysis “Principal Component Analysis” shows the following (Figure 8): in the first quadrant (corresponding to positive values) are questions Q4 and Q5; in the second quadrant (corresponding to positive values on the OY axis and negative values on the OX axis) are questions Q6, Q7 and Q1; in quadrant four (corresponding to negative values only) there are only questions Q2 and Q3; this analysis confirms the link identified in the “Hierarchical Cluster” analysis between questions Q6, Q7 and Q1.

The “Partial Least Squares Analysis” (Figure 9) aimed to identify the type of impact exerted by the three respondent identification questions on the four questions (as shown in Table 2) analyzed. In this study, it is found that question Q1 has a positive impact on questions Q6 and Q7, highlighting the results of the two previous statistical analyses; question Q2 has a positive impact on questions Q4 and Q5, the link identified in the “Hierarchical Cluster” analysis and on question Q6. Regarding question Q2, although the other statistical analyses did not identify any correlation with the questions analyzed, it was found that it has a very small positive impact on question Q4; the statistical analysis of the importance of the graphical representation (Variable Importance Plot—VIP) identified that in the study the question with a significant impact is Q5 followed by Q4.

4. Discussion

Environmental education encompasses various approaches, tools, and programs that develop and support environmental attitudes, values, awareness, knowledge, and skills, preparing individuals to act consciously to protect the environment. It focuses on outcomes at different levels, including individual, societal, and ecosystem levels.

Environmental education in primary schools is essential for developing sustainable attitudes and behaviors among children. Studies show that actively including environmental subjects in the school curriculum can have a positive impact on students’ awareness and knowledge of environmental issues and how they can contribute to protecting the environment [9,26,29,35]. Educational programs should be interactive, practical, and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, involving parents and the community in environmental activities in schools can reinforce learning and create links between school and students’ daily lives. Environmental education in primary schools can not only help to shape responsible citizens who are aware of their impact on the environment but can also cultivate a long-term culture of sustainability.

The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge and practices related to the environmental factor “water” among primary school students and to provide valuable information for the development of educational and awareness programs in the field of water conservation.

The study was based on a questionnaire addressed to primary school children, which was completed by 308 respondents (and according to the literature, this study belongs to the category of studies with many respondents—maximum 480 and minimum 56—Table 1).

The main limitations of this study include the sample size and representativeness, as the research was conducted with 308 primary school students from Bacău, which may not fully reflect the broader population. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported questionnaire data introduces the possibility of social desirability bias and varying levels of comprehension among young respondents. Future studies could incorporate complementary methods, such as interviews or observations, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of students’ environmental knowledge and behaviors.

Another limitation is the study’s narrow focus on water-related knowledge and behaviors, without addressing other environmental factors such as waste management or air quality. Furthermore, the research provides only a short-term assessment of students’ understanding, without evaluating long-term behavioral changes. Conducting longitudinal studies could offer valuable insights into the lasting impact of environmental education on children’s actions and attitudes.

The results of this study highlight the importance of environmental education in shaping responsible behavior towards water resources among primary school students. The level of knowledge and attitudes identified among participants reflects both the impact of the educational curriculum and the influence of social factors, including family and community. This study aligns with previously published studies [12,19,24], demonstrating the essential role of environmental education in promoting responsible behavior towards water resources among primary school students.

The findings show that students in Bacău demonstrate a strong interest in water conservation; however, there are opportunities for improvement in the practical application of the knowledge acquired. In this regard, the effectiveness of communication about responsible water use can be enhanced through interactive learning methods, such as experimental activities, educational games, and projects carried out in collaboration with local environmental organizations.

Furthermore, the data emphasize the importance of adapting educational strategies to children’s level of understanding to facilitate the connection between theoretical knowledge and real behaviors related to water conservation. The involvement of parents and the local community in educational initiatives can significantly contribute to reinforcing messages about sustainable water use, thus promoting a lasting ecological culture.

This study highlights the need for more practical educational programs and an extended collaboration framework between schools, families, and local institutions to improve the effectiveness of water education in Bacău and encourage active and responsible behavior among students.

5. Conclusions

After analyzing the results, the following general conclusions were drawn:

• Taking gender into account, an equal distribution of children was observed in the study (156 boys and 152 girls);
• The majority of the respondents are from urban areas; this is mainly due to the fact that the school chosen to participate in this study is located in Bacău and is situated 1.8 km from the city center;
• The predominant age group of respondents is given by those aged 10 years, followed by those aged 9 years, 11 years, 8 years, and the last being those aged 7 years;
• Regarding the way of conserving water resources, it was observed that there is a significant rate of people who turn off the water when brushing their teeth;
• The same conclusion can be drawn about the way of performing intimate hygiene, i.e., more than half of the respondents prefer showering instead of bathing;
• Regarding the habits related to throwing waste in the kitchen sink, it can be observed that the majority of respondents do not throw anything in the sink;
• Concerning the items thrown in the toilet bowl, there is a considerable variety of products, with a significant weight attributed to the category “other products”, which are not specified in the list provided. In the second place are wet wipes. There is also a significant percentage of people who do not flush anything down the toilet. Overall, there is a diversity of items that are flushed down the toilet, highlighting the need for education and awareness of the impact on the sewerage system and the environment.
• The conclusion of the statistical analysis conducted shows that there are significant correlations between the questions asked of the respondents, which can be grouped into certain clusters or related through Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Squares Analysis, such as: Gender + What do you choose to do? + What do you or your parents throw in the kitchen sink? Age + Are you concerned about water pollution issues? + Do you turn off the water when you brush your teeth?

The results of the study confirm the importance of environmental education in developing responsible behaviors towards water resources among primary school students, supporting the conclusions of previous research [21,24]. Studies show that well-structured educational programs contribute significantly to improving students’ knowledge and attitudes towards environmental protection [18].

It was also highlighted the need to apply interactive methods, such as learning through games or practical projects, which have already been shown to be effective in other studies on environmental education [29,30]. The level of awareness and positive attitude towards saving water identified in the surveyed students is consistent with the conclusions of Erdogan [20] and Alaydin [19], who showed that active involvement of students in such educational programs increases their responsibility towards natural resources.

Furthermore, our study confirms the observations of Paredes-Chi and Viga-de Alva [42], according to which education about the rational use of water influences long-term behaviors. Thus, it is necessary to integrate broader educational programs that ensure the sustainability of ecological behaviors.

In view of the findings of the study on environmental education and awareness of the environmental factor “water” in primary schools, it is recommended to implement interactive and practical educational programs in primary schools, addressing issues related to water conservation and responsible use. These programs should provide pupils with information on the importance of water, its resources, and ways of conserving it.

It is also recommended to develop partnerships between schools, the community, and local organizations to organize activities and projects to raise awareness of water conservation, such as campaigns to reduce water consumption or to sanitize local water resources.