ASSESSING PRODUCTION NEEDS FOR CLASSROOM MATERIALS FROM USED CHILDREN’S CLOTHING: IMPLICATIONS FOR CLASSROOM ENHANCEMENT

Abstract

This study is a needs assessment of the utilization of used children's clothing in the production of classroom decoration materials for learning environment enhancement, addressing a gap in resource-constrained educational settings. Survey data from 1,193 stakeholders, teachers, administrators, experts, and parents, in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria, showed strong consensus on the social needs underlying this utilization, spanning economic needs, educational needs, and environmental needs, with grand means ranging from 4.15 to 4.28 on a 4-point scale. The utilization of used children's clothing responds to three linked challenges: tight school budgets that limit stimulating classroom resources, a growing textile-waste crisis, and under-stimulating learning environments that fail to use the physical space as a "third teacher." The study also identifies the practical challenges that constrain this utilization, including funding gaps, limited design and production skills, weak material-sourcing systems, low sustainability awareness, and inadequate maintenance knowledge — and proposes corresponding ways of curbing them through policy integration, teacher capacity-building, and community engagement. Gender disaggregated analysis found that female respondents consistently rated needs higher than male respondents, with implications for how training is designed. Recommendations include ministry-led training programmes, school based material-collection systems, and cooperative models for economic empowerment.