Analysing students' participation and challenges in tree-growing initiatives at a Tanzanian University: implications for campus greening programs
Hawa Suleiman MkwelaPurpose
This study examines students' participation patterns, motivations and challenges in tree-growing initiatives at the University of Dodoma (UDOM), Tanzania. Grounded in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the research investigates the extent of student engagement, the factors driving participation and the barriers to successful tree establishment on campus in a semi-arid context.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional quantitative survey was administered to 250 undergraduate students from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies who had participated in campus tree-growing activities. The structured questionnaire employed Likert-scale, multiple-choice and open-ended items. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests and thematic content analysis.
Findings
All participants demonstrated awareness of and engagement in tree-growing initiatives, with 80% rating tree growing as “very important”. Environmental concern was the primary motivation (53.4%). However, 43.3% of trees remained below 30 cm in height. Water accessibility was the paramount constraint (60%). A statistically significant relationship was found between participation frequency and perceived importance (χ² = 12.43, p = 0.014).
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to one department at a single university and relies on self-reported data, including recall-based tree growth assessments. Future research should employ longitudinal designs, multi-institutional samples, mixed methods and systematic field-based tree measurements.
Practical implications
Universities in semi-arid regions should invest in water infrastructure, adopt drought-tolerant species, integrate tree care training into curricula, establish formal tree-growing policies and create monitoring frameworks.
Social implications
The findings highlight how universities in developing countries can serve as catalysts for environmental consciousness and community-level climate action through structured student engagement in greening programmes.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to apply TPB to student participation in campus tree growing in Sub-Saharan Africa. It provides empirical evidence on the intersection of higher education, environmental sustainability and student engagement in a resource-constrained, semi-arid context, advancing understanding within higher education, skills and work-based learning.