IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i21p13988-d955327.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Shaping Pro-Environmental Attitudes through Higher Education—A Preliminary Study

Author

Listed:
  • Alicja Balcerak

    (Faculty of Management, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Jacek Woźniak

    (Faculty of Business, University of Economics and Human Sciences, 01-043 Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

Several authors argue that some types of academic education not focused on sustainability can also shape—at least some—competencies relevant to sustainability and turn students into more engaged individuals. The main goal of this article was to check this possibility based on the results of an e-questionnaire from 66 fresh graduates of a business-oriented university based in Poland. We found that respondents rated highly both the competencies that the university taught in the general sphere related to sustainable development and those important for their professional life and wanted further development of both groups of these competencies. Through regression analysis, we also found that the perceived development of SD competencies does not predict respondents’ ecological worldview. Of the studied predictors for ecological worldview, only female gender and mission- or socially-driven dream job remained in the regression model, accounting for approximately 18.6% of the variation in ecological worldview.

Suggested Citation

  • Alicja Balcerak & Jacek Woźniak, 2022. "Shaping Pro-Environmental Attitudes through Higher Education—A Preliminary Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:13988-:d:955327
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/13988/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/13988/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marcin Pasek & Elena Bendíková & Michalina Kuska & Hanna Żukowska & Remigiusz Dróżdż & Dariusz Jacek Olszewski-Strzyżowski & Magdalena Zając & Mirosława Szark-Eckardt, 2022. "Environmental Knowledge of Participants’ Outdoor and Indoor Physical Education Lessons as an Example of Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Makrakis, Vassilios & Kostoulas-Makrakis, Nelly, 2016. "Bridging the qualitative–quantitative divide: Experiences from conducting a mixed methods evaluation in the RUCAS programme," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 144-151.
    3. Helen Lee Curtis & Lucas Catalani Gabriel & Marlyne Sahakian & Sandro Cattacin, 2021. "Practice-Based Program Evaluation in Higher Education for Sustainability: A Student Participatory Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Anna Shutaleva & Zhanna Nikonova & Irina Savchenko & Nikita Martyushev, 2020. "Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Russia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-26, September.
    5. Almudena Eizaguirre & María García-Feijoo & Jon Paul Laka, 2019. "Defining Sustainability Core Competencies in Business and Management Studies Based on Multinational Stakeholders’ Perceptions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, April.
    6. Pere Busquets & Jordi Segalas & Antonio Gomera & Miguel Antúnez & Jorge Ruiz-Morales & Silvia Albareda-Tiana & Rafael Miñano, 2021. "Sustainability Education in the Spanish Higher Education System: Faculty Practice, Concerns and Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Simon Ling & Adam Landon & Michael Tarrant & Donald Rubin, 2020. "Sustainability Education and Environmental Worldviews: Shifting a Paradigm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-19, October.
    8. Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Francisco Manuel Moreno-Pino & Daniel Romero-Portillo & Bárbara Sureda, 2021. "Education for Sustainable Development in Spanish University Education Degrees," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-24, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Branka Radulović & Milanka Džinović & Danimir Mandić & Mirsada Zukorlić & Gorana Starijaš, 2023. "Outdoor Science Approach with Peer Tutoring at University Level as an Example of Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Sarfraz Aslam & Khalida Parveen & Abdulelah A. Alghamdi & Safdar Abbas & Akhter Habib Shah & Kesavan Vadakalur Elumalai, 2022. "Hopes for the Future: Capturing the Perspectives of Students on Higher Education and Sustainable Development in the Post-Pandemic Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Dolors Gil-Doménech & Nina Magomedova & Eugenio José Sánchez-Alcázar & Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga, 2021. "Integrating Sustainability in the Business Administration and Management Curriculum: A Sustainability Competencies Map," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-23, August.
    4. Larisa Gorina & Marina Gordova & Irina Khristoforova & Lyudmila Sundeeva & Wadim Strielkowski, 2023. "Sustainable Education and Digitalization through the Prism of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Leire Guerenabarrena-Cortazar & Jon Olaskoaga-Larrauri & Ernesto Cilleruelo-Carrasco, 2021. "Integration of Sustainability in Engineering and Architectural Studies in Spanish Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-14, July.
    6. Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalas & Gorka Bueno & Pere Busquets & Joan Climent & Victor G. Galofré & Boris Lazzarini & David Lopez & Carme Martín & Rafael Miñano & Estíbaliz Sáez de Cámara & Bá, 2021. "Tools for Embedding and Assessing Sustainable Development Goals in Engineering Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-30, November.
    7. Gemma Tejedor & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalàs, 2022. "Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education-Introduction to a Special Issue," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-6, August.
    8. Lam-Huu-Phuoc Nguyen & Nguyen-Bich-Thy Bui & Thi-Ngoc-Cam Nguyen & Chin-Fei Huang, 2022. "An Investigation into the Perspectives of Elementary Pre-Service Teachers on Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-22, August.
    9. Artem Artyukhov & Iurii Volk & Agnieszka Surowiec & Sylwia Skrzypek-Ahmed & Kseniia Bliumska-Danko & Oleksandr Dluhopolskyi & Volodymyr Shablystyi, 2022. "Quality of Education and Science in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals—From Millennium Goals to Agenda 2030: Factors of Innovation Activity and Socio-Economic Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-11, September.
    10. Norwood, Michael Francis & Lakhani, Ali & Maujean, Annick & Downes, Martin & Fullagar, Simone & McIntyre, Michelle & Byrne, Jason & Stewart, Anna & Barber, Bonnie L. & Kendall, Elizabeth, 2019. "Assessing emotional and social health using photographs: An innovative research method for rural studies and its applicability in a care-farming program for youth," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    11. Vassilis Zakopoulos & Agoritsa Makri & Stamatios Ntanos & Stilianos Tampakis, 2023. "Drama/Theatre Performance in Education through the Use of Digital Technologies for Enhancing Students’ Sustainability Awareness: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-26, September.
    12. Maria Rosario Perello-Marín & Gabriela Ribes-Giner & Odette Pantoja Díaz, 2018. "Enhancing Education for Sustainable Development in Environmental University Programmes: A Co-Creation Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, January.
    13. Alba Manresa & Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent & Úrsula Faura-Martínez & Juan-Vicente Llinares-Ciscar, 2021. "What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    14. Jordi Martínez-Ventura & Eduardo de-Miguel-Arbonés & Carla Sentieri-Omarrementería & Juanjo Galan & María Calero-Llinares, 2021. "A Tool to Assess Architectural Education from the Sustainable Development Perspective and the Students’ Viewpoint," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-40, August.
    15. Ariane Díaz-Iso & Almudena Eizaguirre & Ana García-Olalla, 2020. "Understanding the Role of Social Interactions in the Development of an Extracurricular University Volunteer Activity in a Developing Country," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-17, June.
    16. Andra-Teodora Gorski & Elena-Diana Ranf & Dorel Badea & Elisabeta-Emilia Halmaghi & Hortensia Gorski, 2023. "Education for Sustainability—Some Bibliometric Insights," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
    17. Maria P. Amador-Alarcón & Carlos A. Torres-Gastelú & Agustín Lagunes-Domínguez & Héctor Medina-Cruz & César A. Argüello-Rosales, 2022. "Perceptions of Environmental Protection of University Students: A Look through Digital Competences in Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-12, September.
    18. Miguel Ángel Queiruga-Dios & Emilia López-Iñesta & María Diez-Ojeda & María Consuelo Sáiz-Manzanares & José Benito Vázquez Dorrío, 2020. "Citizen Science for Scientific Literacy and the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in Formal Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-18, May.
    19. Yang Liu, 2022. "Paradigmatic Compatibility Matters: A Critical Review of Qualitative-Quantitative Debate in Mixed Methods Research," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    20. Pnina Steinberger & Yovav Eshet & Keren Grinautsky, 2021. "No Anxious Student Is Left Behind: Statistics Anxiety, Personality Traits, and Academic Dishonesty—Lessons from COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:13988-:d:955327. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.