Global Consciousness and Pillars of Sustainable Development: A Study on Self-Perceptions of the First-Year University Students

Autor/inn/en	Savelyeva, Tamara; Douglas, William
Titel	Global Consciousness and Pillars of Sustainable Development: A Study on Self-Perceptions of the First-Year University Students
Quelle	In: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18 (2017) 2, S.218-241 (24 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1467-6370
DOI	10.1108/IJSHE-04-2016-0063
Schlagwörter	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; Hong Kong + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Nachhaltige Entwicklung; Ausland; Fragebogen; Schülerverhalten; Studienanfänger; Umweltbildung; Umwelterziehung; Umweltpädagogik; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Faktorenanalyse; Wissensbasis; Gargabe; Abfall; Biodiversität; Schadstoffbelastung; Klima; Conservation; Environment; Konservierung; Bewahung; Umwelt; Energie; Hongkong
Abstract	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. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01