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Students' Perspectives of Sustainable Development Goals in a Japanese Higher Education Institute
- Source :
-
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education . 2024 25(1):182-201. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Purpose: As UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs) are integrated across Asia-Pacific Higher Education Institutes (HEIs), the purpose of this descriptive and exploratory study is to investigate undergraduates' own self-stated commitment to the SDGs and their perceived feasibility by the 2030 target. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methodology approach covered quantitative and qualitative approaches facilitated by purposive selection of an Asia-Pacific HEI via a Japanese liberal arts college where a questionnaire survey was administered in Autumn 2021. Responses were monitored from freshmen students in twin courses within the same major (introduction to "Environment" and "Development" studies, respectively; "n" = 177) that both integrated SDGs within their respective curricula. Findings: Students in both classes rated the SDGs as a useful learning tool but were sceptical of their feasibility by 2030. A self-stated commitment was high, especially among environment studies students. Multiple regression was run to predict SDGs commitment from gender, major, perceived SDGs' usefulness and feasibility. These variables partially predicted SDGs commitment but only gender and major variables added statistical significance. Moreover, the same variables were less equivocal in terms of predicting the self-stated belief that the SDGs could be achieved by 2030. Practical implications: The findings can inform instructors of students' perceptions towards SDGs. Significant differences raise academic and applied discussion points, such as how to engage male students, for example, by setting up sustainability "business case" practicums. Originality/value: As global HEIs grapple with effective ways to vertically integrate SDGs into a university's curriculum, students' opinions are often underrepresented. This paper's originality and value address these gaps by exploring a holistic student-centric perspective on SDGs in the context of commitment. This paper also has implications for more effective cross-curricula integration of the SDGs.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1467-6370 and 1758-6739
- Volume :
- 25
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- ERIC
- Journal :
- International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- EJ1405584
- Document Type :
- Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-12-2022-0380