Fostering Environmental Consciousness: Insights From Engineering Education and Sustainability Initiatives

This study examines the influence of educational interventions on environmental attitudes, awareness, and consumption habits across diverse participant groups, encompassing university engineering students, high school students, and attendees of a sustainability forum. Employing a quantitative approach, numerical values ranging from excellent to very bad were assigned to interpret participant responses. The findings indicate a positive impact of formal engineering education on waste management attitudes, with last-semester engineering students exhibiting the highest scores. Concurrently, participants with an intrinsic interest in sustainability, as demonstrated by sustainability forum attendance, displayed a heightened commitment to responsible consumption. While no significant differences emerged in consumption habits across different educational levels, the study emphasizes the pivotal role of intrinsic interest in fostering sustainable behavior. Furthermore, formal engineering training was associated with elevated environmental awareness, underscoring its importance in cultivating a profound understanding of environmental challenges and proposing effective solutions. The results advocate for the integration of sustainability education at various academic levels to promote a comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship. Beyond the classroom, these insights contribute to the development of a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society. This research extends our understanding of the dynamic interplay between education, attitudes, and behaviors, providing valuable implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking to advance sustainability initiatives.