ERIC Number: EJ1129367
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1467-6370
EISSN: N/A
Global Consciousness and Pillars of Sustainable Development: A Study on Self-Perceptions of the First-Year University Students
Savelyeva, Tamara; Douglas, William
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v18 n2 p218-241 2017
Purpose: This paper aims to provide data on the self-perceived state of sustainability consciousness of first-year Hong Kong students. Design/methodology/approach: Within a mixed-method research design framework, the authors conducted 787 questionnaires and collected 989 reflective narratives of first-year students of a university in Hong Kong, who were enrolled in the General Education course. Findings: Attributed to students' immersion in compulsory sustainability education modules within liberal studies programs in secondary through higher education (HE), the quantitative results revealed an increase in the self-perceived knowledge and behavioral aspects of sustainability consciousness of Hong Kong students and their low engagement in sustainability-related civic, campus or action groups. However, qualitative results revealed three aspects of the students' sustainability consciousness: intentionality to make a difference; engagement with complex questions about identity, society and nature; and eschatological perspectives, which included imaginative, future-oriented and action-oriented approaches to critical reflection, supported by the rhetoric of hope, promises and commitment for better future. Originality/value: The study provides insights into the challenge of implementation of the United Nations-based sustainable development model in the Hong Kong educational system through the formal liberal studies curriculum. It advances the field by constructing a momentum for conceptual changes in sustainability education research toward design of the non-linear and culturally sensitive frameworks for sustainability implementation in HE. This allows to utilize universities' unique capacities for fostering students' sustainability consciousness in a continuous and systemic way.
Descriptors: Sustainable Development, Foreign Countries, Questionnaires, Student Attitudes, College Freshmen, Environmental Education, Higher Education, Factor Analysis, Liberal Arts, Knowledge Level, Wastes, Biodiversity, Pollution, Climate, Conservation (Environment), Energy, Mixed Methods Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A