Assessing the sustainability literacy of undergraduate students in a first-year writing course

Abstract

Abstract The significance of sustainability is increasingly accepted in society, with a consensus that higher education institutions should play a more active role in this field. As higher education institutions and society increasingly prioritize individuals' comprehension of sustainability, the need for accurate assessments of sustainability knowledge becomes more significant. To this end, this study aims to evaluate the sustainability literacy levels of students enrolled in a first-year composition course using a mixed-method sequential explanatory design. The quantitative phase involved 221 students who completed a questionnaire assessing their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and familiarity with sustainability concepts and topics. Following this, 60 students were asked to write an essay identifying Kuwait's significant sustainability challenges and proposing solutions. The results showed that gender, high school type, grade point average (GPA) value, and previous exposure to sustainability cause significant differences in students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes about sustainability and that the students primarily associate sustainability challenges with environmental problems; social and economic challenges are rarely mentioned in essays.