Structured Digital Tool Intervention on Microplastics Awareness Among Pre-Service Science Teachers at the Federal College of Education, Okene

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a structured six-week digital tool intervention on the microplastics knowledge and awareness of pre-service science teachers. Using a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design, the study was conducted among 300 NCE 2 Biology students at the Federal College of Education, Okene, selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using two newly developed and validated instruments: the Microplastics Knowledge Achievement Test (MKAT) and the Digital Intervention Engagement Questionnaire (DIEQ). Data analysis was performed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and simple linear regression at a 0.05 level of significance. Baseline results revealed a severe knowledge gap, with a pre-test mean score of 19.20 out of 50 on the MKAT. Following the six-week delivery of researcher-curated educational multimedia packages, post-test scores increased significantly to a mean of 39.35, representing a mean gain of +20.15 points, t = 51.50, df = 299, p < 0.001. Regression analysis showed that digital platform engagement significantly predicted learning outcomes, accounting for 46.8% of the variance in post-test scores, R² = 0.468, F = 261.78, p < 0.05. Visually intensive social media formats, specifically Instagram Reels, M = 4.12, and TikTok, M = 3.98, were ranked as the most effective instructional mechanisms. However, major barriers to engagement included poor internet connectivity, 81.0%, and high mobile data costs, 77.0%. The study concludes that curated mobile micro-learning tools are effective for improving environmental literacy. It recommends integrating emerging ecological hazards into the science curriculum and expanding campus Wi-Fi to support digitized pedagogy.