Sustainability Literacy, Readiness, and Engagement among Undergraduate Students: Evidence from a Philippine Higher Education Institution

This study examined undergraduate students’ sustainability literacy, readiness for sustainable development, and sustainability engagement within a higher education institution in the Philippines. It sought to determine students’ knowledge across environmental, social, and economic dimensions, assess their readiness through key sustainability competencies, describe their attitudes and practices, and examine how these constructs vary according to student characteristics and prior exposure. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected through a validated institutional survey instrument that measured sustainability literacy, readiness competencies, and engagement. Descriptive statistics, group-comparison procedures, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and moderation analysis were employed to examine patterns and relationships among the study variables. Findings indicated that students demonstrated a generally average level of sustainability literacy, with differences across the environmental, social, and economic domains. Readiness for sustainable development was generally favorable, although some competencies appeared more developed than others. Students also expressed highly favorable sustainability attitudes, while their reported sustainability practices were comparatively less consistent. Sustainability outcomes varied across academic groups and according to prior exposure. The analyses further showed that sustainability literacy alone did not consistently translate into engagement; rather, readiness competencies emerged as particularly important in explaining students’ sustainability engagement. The findings highlight a knowledge-to-action gap and suggest that higher education institutions should move beyond awareness-oriented sustainability instruction toward sustained, competency-based, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning opportunities. Strengthening systems thinking, normative competence, interpersonal competence, and action preparedness may help students transform sustainability knowledge and positive attitudes into meaningful and sustained practices.

sustainability literacy; sustainability readiness; sustainability engagement; Education for Sustainable Development; higher education

1. Alm, K., Melén, M., & Aggestam-Pontoppidan, C. (2022). Students’ learning sustainability—Implicit, explicit or non-existent: A case study approach on students’ key competencies addressing the SDGs in HEI program. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(8), 60–84. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-12-2020-0484 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ariza, M. R., Boeve-de Pauw, J., Olsson, D., Van Petegem, P., Parra, G., & Gericke, N. (2021). Promoting environmental citizenship in education: The potential of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire to measure impact of interventions. Sustainability, 13(20), 11420. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011420 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Birdman, J., Wiek, A., & Lang, D. J. (2022). Developing key competencies in sustainability through project-based learning in graduate sustainability programs. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(5), 1139–1157. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-12-2020-0506 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Boateng, G. O., Neilands, T. B., Frongillo, E. A., Melgar-Quiñonez, H. R., & Young, S. L. (2018). Best practices for developing and validating scales for health, social, and behavioral research: A primer. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00149 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Brundiers, K., Barth, M., Cebrián, G., Cohen, M., Diaz, L., Doucette-Remington, S., Dripps, W., Habron, G., Harré, N., Jarchow, M., Losch, K., Michel, J., Mochizuki, Y., Rieckmann, M., & Zint, M. (2021). Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—Toward an agreed-upon reference framework. Sustainability Science, 16, 13–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00838-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Cebrián, G., & Junyent, M. (2015). Competencies in education for sustainable development: Exploring the student teachers’ views. Sustainability, 7(3), 2768–2786. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7032768 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Chen, C., An, Q., Zheng, L., & Guan, C. (2022). Sustainability literacy: Assessment of knowingness, attitude and behavior regarding sustainable development among students in China. Sustainability, 14(9), 4886. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094886 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Duran, M. K. L., Mariñas, K. A. A., Young, M. N., & Villanueva, R. C. (2026). Modeling Filipino educators’ intentions to integrate sustainability topics in higher education using a hybrid SEM–ANN. Sustainable Futures, 11, 101680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101680 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Erguvan, I. D. (2024a). Assessing the sustainability literacy of undergraduate students in a first-year writing course. Discover Education, 3, 84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00179-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Erguvan, I. D. (2024b). What difference does one course make? Assessing the impact of content-based instruction on students’ sustainability literacy. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03149-4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Faham, E., Rezvanfar, A., Movahed Mohammadi, S. H., & Rajabi Nohooji, M. (2017). Using system dynamics to develop education for sustainable development in higher education with the emphasis on the sustainability competencies of students. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 123, 307–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.03.023 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Figueiró, P. S., & Raufflet, E. (2015). Sustainability in higher education: A systematic review with focus on management education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.04.118 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Gericke, N., Boeve-de Pauw, J., Berglund, T., & Olsson, D. (2019). The Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire: The theoretical development and empirical validation of an evaluation instrument for stakeholders working with sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 27(1), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1859 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Gramatakos, A. L., & Lavau, S. (2019). Informal learning for sustainability in higher education institutions. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 20(2), 378–392. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-10-2018-0177 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2022). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Hansen, B., Stiling, P., & Uy, W. F. (2021). Innovations and challenges in SDG integration and reporting in higher education: A case study from the University of South Florida. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22(5), 1002–1021. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-08-2020-0310 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Kalla, M., Jerowsky, M., Howes, B., & Borda, A. (2022). Expanding formal school curricula to foster action competence in sustainable development: A proposed free-choice project-based learning curriculum. Sustainability, 14(23), 16315. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316315 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Kuehl, C., Sparks, A. C., Hodges, H., & Smith, E. R. A. N. (2023). Exploring sustainability literacy: Developing and assessing a bottom-up measure of what students know about sustainability. Frontiers in Sustainability, 4, 1167041. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2023.1167041 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Leal Filho, W., Trevisan, L. V., Dinis, M. A. P., Ulmer, N., Paço, A., Borsari, B., Sierra, J., & Salvia, A. (2024). Fostering students’ participation in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at higher education institutions. Discover Sustainability, 5, 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00204-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Leicht, A., Heiss, J., & Byun, W. J. (Eds.). (2018). Issues and trends in education for sustainable development. UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000261445 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Lewis, A. L., & Bader, C. (2026). From frameworks to classrooms: Operationalizing sustainability competencies for effective curriculum design in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 27(10), 149–174. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2025-0148 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Lozano, R., Barreiro-Gen, M., Lozano, F. J., & Sammalisto, K. (2019). Teaching sustainability in European higher education institutions: Assessing the connections between competences and pedagogical approaches. Sustainability, 11(6), 1602. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061602 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Lozano, R., Merrill, M. Y., Sammalisto, K., Ceulemans, K., & Lozano, F. J. (2017). Connecting competences and pedagogical approaches for sustainable development in higher education: A literature review and framework proposal. Sustainability, 9(10), 1889. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101889 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Massara, G. V. (2026). Beyond the survey: Performance assessments for higher-order sustainability literacy in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2025-0116 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Nielsen, K. S., Clayton, S., Stern, P. C., Dietz, T., Capstick, S., & Whitmarsh, L. (2021). How psychology can help limit climate change. American Psychologist, 76(1), 130–144. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000624 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Null, D. C., & Asirvatham, J. (2023). College students are pro-environment but lack sustainability knowledge: A study at a mid-size Midwestern US university. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 24(3), 660–677. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2022-0046 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Núñez, M. E., Siddiqui, M. K., & Abbas, A. (2024). Motivation, attitude, knowledge, and engagement towards the development of sustainability competencies among students of higher education: A predictive study. Discover Sustainability, 5, 335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00556-0 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. O’Byrne, D., Dripps, W., & Nicholas, K. A. (2021). Organizational change for sustainability education: A case study of one university’s efforts to create and implement institution-wide sustainability competencies. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22(3), 497–515. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2019-0285 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Oinonen, I., Seppälä, T., & Paloniemi, R. (2024). How does action competence explain young people’s sustainability action? Environmental Education Research, 30(4), 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2241675 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Olsson, D., Gericke, N., & Boeve-de Pauw, J. (2022). The effectiveness of education for sustainable development revisited—A longitudinal study on secondary students’ action competence for sustainability. Environmental Education Research, 28(3), 405–429. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2033170 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Otto, S., & Pensini, P. (2017). Nature-based environmental education of children: Environmental knowledge and connectedness to nature, together, are related to ecological behaviour. Global Environmental Change, 47, 88–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.09.009 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Perrault, E. K., & Clark, S. K. (2018). Sustainability attitudes and behavioral motivations of college students: Testing the extended parallel process model. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2016-0175 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Purvis, B., Mao, Y., & Robinson, D. (2019). Three pillars of sustainability: In search of conceptual origins. Sustainability Science, 14, 681–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0627-5 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Redman, A., & Wiek, A. (2021). Competencies for advancing transformations towards sustainability. Frontiers in Education, 6, 785163. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.785163 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Sánchez-Carracedo, F., Romero-Portillo, D., Sureda, B., & Moreno-Pino, F. M. (2022). Education for sustainable development in Spanish higher education: An assessment of sustainability competencies in engineering and education degrees. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(4), 940–959. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2021-0060 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Sharma, U., & Kelly, M. (2014). Students’ perceptions of education for sustainable development in the accounting and business curriculum at a business school in New Zealand. Meditari Accountancy Research, 22(2), 130–148. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-12-2012-0042 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Thian, L. B., Ng, V., & Yoon, S. J. (2026). A systematic review of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to foster systems thinking in higher education for sustainability. Discover Sustainability, 7, 478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-02832-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Times Higher Education. (2024). Impact Rankings 2024: Methodology. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2024-methodology [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Torsdottir, A. E., Olsson, D., & Sinnes, A. T. (2024). Developing action competence for sustainability—Do school experiences in influencing society matter? Global Environmental Change, 86, 102840. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102840 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. UNESCO. (2017). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning objectives. UNESCO. https://doi.org/10.54675/CGBA9153 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development: A roadmap. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374802 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Valderrama-Hernández, R., Barrón, Á., Solís-Espallargas, C., & Limón, D. (2026). An instrument to analyse the sustainability competence of university students in education sciences. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 27(5), 1076–1094. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2024-0041 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Valdes-Ramirez, D., de Armas Jacomino, L., Monroy, R., & Zavala, G. (2024). Assessing sustainability competencies in contemporary STEM higher education: A data-driven analysis at Tecnologico de Monterrey. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1415755. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1415755 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Vargas-Merino, J. A., & Vivanco Aquino, I. D. B. (2026). Social innovation and sustainability competencies: Multivariate evidence using PLS-SEM in the context of higher education. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102759 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Vasques, A., Wang, Y., & Sommier, M. (2022). Transformative, interdisciplinary and intercultural learning for developing HEI students’ sustainability-oriented competences: A case study. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02208-7 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Wamsler, C. (2020). Education for sustainability: Fostering a more conscious society and transformation towards sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(1), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2019-0152 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Wang, Y., Sommier, M., & Vasques, A. (2022). Sustainability education at higher education institutions: Pedagogies and students’ competences. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(8), 174–193. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-11-2021-0465 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Wiek, A., Withycombe, L., & Redman, C. L. (2011). Key competencies in sustainability: A reference framework for academic program development. Sustainability Science, 6, 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0132-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Xing, X., & Ironsi, C. S. (2024). Implementing action competence teaching model as a framework for achieving sustainable development goals: Insights from students. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 25(5), 1048–1065. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-08-2023-0376 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Yang, S.-C., Luo, Y.-F., Chou, K.-Y., & Lin, T.-L. (2026). Connecting civic responsibility and individual agency: Exploring sustainable development practices among university students in Taiwan. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 27(4), 1013–1031. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2024-0475 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Yücel, E. (2025). Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Sürdürülebilirlik Okuryazarlığı: Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesinde Bir Uygulama. International Journal of Social Inquiry, 18(1), 88–112. https://doi.org/10.37093/ijsi.1526846 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Žalėnienė, I., & Pereira, P. (2021). Higher education for sustainability: A global perspective. Geography and Sustainability, 2(2), 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geosus.2021.05.001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Zenasni, S., Kuppens, T. E., Vaesen, J., Surmont, J., & Stiers, I. (2024). Conceptualizing education for sustainable development in urban secondary schools. Education and Urban Society, 56(8), 976–1001. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131245241238001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study