The university as a cultural actor in promoting students’ responsibility toward environmental sustainability: An environmental humanities perspective
Main Article Content
Abstract
Responsibility toward environmental sustainability has become a central challenge for higher education institutions due to its direct impact on raising students' awareness and shaping their behaviors toward the environment. This study aims to assess the role of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in promoting responsibility toward environmental sustainability among students and to explore ways to enhance such role. The study followed the descriptive-analytical method. It relied on a structured questionnaire that included 362 male and female students from various colleges and academic levels. The questionnaire focused on four main dimensions: the role of the university administration, faculty staff members, academic courses, and student activities, in addition to a special section on ways to enhance environmental responsibility. The results showed that the university achieves a very high level in promoting responsibility toward environmental sustainability across all dimensions, with the role of faculty staff members and academic courses being the most influential on students' awareness and behavior, followed by student activities and university administration. Students emphasized the importance of integrating sustainability in curricula, organizing training programs and workshops, supporting innovative student initiatives, enhancing community partnerships, and utilizing digital technologies to raise environmental awareness. The study concluded that the integration of university policies and educational practices is a key factor in promoting responsibility toward environmental sustainability. It also emphasized the need to continuously develop programs and activities to ensure the consolidation of sustainable environmental behavior among students.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This open-access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
You are free to: Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms: Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
How to Cite
Share
References
Alamri, M. F., & Al-Areeny, A. A., (2020). The Role of the Administrations of the Saudi Government Universities in the Transition towards Sustainability from the Point of View of Academic Leaders. Risalat ul-Khaleej Al-Arabi, Arab Bureau of Education for Gulf States 41, 37-59. https://doi.org/10.35270/0011-041-156-002
Al-Arabi, H. Y, & Atteya, O. E. (2023). A Proposed Vision for Activating the Role of Education Colleges in Achieving their Social Responsibility towards the Development of Public Education in Egypt. Arab Studies in Education and Psychology 417, 137-214. http://search.mandumah.com/Record/1396137
Al-Dafrawi, N. (2019). A proposed course in sustainable environmental development based on environmental awareness activities to develop environmental awareness among science teacher students in faculties of education. Journal of the Faculty of Education, Alexandria University, 29(2), 131-191. https://search.mandumah.com/Record/1119224
Al-Hamdan , S. I., & Al-Azmi, H. Sh. (2022). Environmental Awareness Related to Climate Change Among Secondary School Students in the State of Kuwait and its Relationship to their Social Responsibility. Al-Azhar Journal of Education (AJED), al-Azhar University, 196 (4), 229-274. https://doi.org/10.21608/JSREP.2022.281057
Almudara, S. B., El-Gammal, M. M., Ali, M. H., Abdellatif, M. S., Elshazly, A. I. A., Ibrahim, S. A., & Al-Rashidi, A. H. (2023). The impact of training on digital citizenship skills in developing students’ attitudes towards sustainable development at the university level. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 5(3), 78-99. https://doi.org/10.58256/8jrvr939
Al-Najjar, F. K. (2019). The effect of a training program on sustainable development practices on developing awareness of environmental problems and volunteer work skills for female students at Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences, 3(2), 52-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26389/AJSRP.F130918
Al-Naqbi, A. K., & Alshanna, Q. (2018). The status of education for sustainable development and sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of UAE University students. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(3), 566-588. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-06-2017-0091
Al-Otaibi, A. (2022). The role of Saudi universities in developing environmental awareness among students and its relationship to their level of awareness of sustainable development. Shaqra University Journal for Humanities and Administrative Sciences, 9(1), 351-384. https://search.mandumah.com/Record/1285866
Al-Sulami, A., Al-Otaibi, F., Al-Radhi, L., & Naji, A. (2022). The absence of environmental awareness in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its impact on green marketing in light of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Arab Journal of Science and Research Publishing, 6(4), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.26389/AJSRP.J240721
Ambusaidi, A., & Al Washahi, M. (2016). Prospective teachers’ perceptions about the concept of sustainable development and related issues in Oman. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 10(1), 3-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973408215625528
Amer, T. (2011). The University and Community Service. Contemporary Global Orientations. Cairo:Tiba
Blaique, L., Nazmy, P., Aldabbas, H., & Corbin, T. (2023). Understanding Social Responsibility Awareness Among University Students. Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(11), e1644-e1644. https://2u.pw/ecoasBHM
Bourdieu, P. (1988). Homo Academicus. Stanford University Press.
Condori, M., & Reyna, G. (2019). Percepción de la responsabilidad social universitaria en estudiantes de la Facultad de Sociología de una universidad pública de la ciudad de Huancayo, Perú. Espacios, 40 (39), 8-16.
Heise, U. K. (2016). Imagining extinction: The cultural meanings of endangered species. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226358338.001.0001
Illahaqi, A. A. D., Nurcahyo, H., & Panjaitan, M. H. (2021). Advancing Students’ Environmental Sustainability Awareness Through Science Mobile Learning: A Literature Review. Proceedings of the 6th International Seminar on Science Education (ISSE 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210326.114
Ismail, M. A., & Abdellatif, M. S. (2024). Social responsibility among students of their education for environmental sustainability (case study: Al-Kharj Governorate, KSA). Cadernos de Educação Tecnologia e Sociedade, 17(se2), 98-109. https://doi.org/10.14571/brajets.v17.nse2.98-109
Ismail, M. A., & Abdellatif, M. S. (2024). Social responsibility among students of their education for environmental sustainability (case study: Al-Kharj Governorate, KSA). Cadernos de Educação Tecnologia e Sociedade, 17(se2), 98-109. https://doi.org/10.14571/brajets.v17.nse2.98-109
Jonas, H. (1984). The Imperative of Responsibility. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226850337.001.0001
Judge, J. P., Morgan, K. N., & Clifton, A. (2022). Video Modeling to Support Physical Activity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 34, 48. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1353982
Kalsoom, Q., & Khanam, A. (2017). Inquiry into sustainability issues by preservice teachers: A pedagogy to enhance sustainability consciousness. Journal of cleaner production, 164, 1301-1311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.047
Kolenatý, M., Kroufek, R., & Činčera, J. (2022). What Triggers Climate Action: The Impact of a Climate Change Education Program on Students’ Climate Literacy and Their Willingness to Act. Sustainability, 14(16), 10365. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610365
Maartensson, H., & Loi, N. M. (2022). Exploring the relationships between risk perception, behavioural willingness, and constructive hope in pro-environmental behaviour. Environmental Education Research, 28(4), 600-613. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.2015295
Madaan, G., Kaur, M., Gowda, K. R., Gujrati, R., & Uygun, H. (2023). Business Responses Towards Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Goals During Covid-19 Pandemic. Journal of Law and Sustainable Development, 11(1), e0309. https://doi.org/10.37497/sdgs.v11i1.309
Mason, L. R. (2019). Achieving Environmental Justice. Toward a Livable Life: A 21st Century Agenda for Social Work, 232- 239. https://www.environmentalscience.org
Media Center for Saudi Vision 2030 (2016). National Transformation Program 2020. Available at http://vision2030.gov.sa/ar/media-center
Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. (2024). "Your Environment is Your Priority" initiative. Available at https://www.spa.gov.sa/N2022990
Mora, H., Pujol-López, F. A., Mendoza-Tello, J. C., & Morales-Morales, M. R. (2020). An education-based approach for enabling the sustainable development gear. Computers in Human Behavior, 107, 105775, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.11.004
Najmi, A. H., & Al-Sayed, M. A. (2023). A proposed concept for developing Tabuk University's responsibilities towards environmental sustainability in light of global experiences. Journal of the Faculty of Education, Tanta University, 89(1), 965-1008. http://search.mandumah.com/Record/1383403
National Center for Meteorology (1442 AH). Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development National Program Initiative. The National Program for Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Development is one of the National Transformation 2020 Initiatives. https://ncm.gov.sa/Ar/MediaCenter/AwarenessDef/Pages/AwarenessInitiative.aspx
Orr, D. W. (1994). Earth in mind: On education, environment, and the human prospect. Island Press, PO Box 7, Covelo, CA 95428.
Pettinger, T. (2018). Environmental sustainability–definition and issues. Economics. Retrieved November, 20, 2022. https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/143879/
Probst, L., Bardach, L., Kamusingize, D., Templer, N., Ogwali, H., Owamani, A., ... & Adugna, B. T. (2019). A transformative university learning experience contributes to sustainability attitudes, skills and agency. Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 648-656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.395
Probst, L., Bardach, L., Kamusingize, D., Templer, N., Ogwali, H., Owamani, A., ... & Adugna, B. T. (2019). A transformative university learning experience contributes to sustainability attitudes, skills and agency. Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 648-656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.395
Rieg, N. A., Gatersleben, B., & Christie, I. (2021). Organizational change management for sustainability in higher education institutions: A systematic quantitative literature review. Sustainability, 13(13), 1-18.
Safahi, I. (2021). Environmental protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia according to Vision 2030. Journal of the Faculty of Sharia and Law in Tafhna, (23), 2609-2652. https://doi.org/10.21608/jfslt.2021.217914
Safahi, I. (2021). Environmental protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia according to Vision 2030. Journal of the Faculty of Sharia and Law in Tafhna, (23), 2609-2652. https://doi.org/10.21608/jfslt.2021.217914
Saudi Press Agency (WAS) (1442 AH). HRH Crown Prince announces Saudi and Middle East Green Initiative. https://www.spa.gov.sa/2208368
Sterling, S. (2010). Learning for resilience, or the resilient learner? Towards a necessary reconciliation in a paradigm of sustainable education. Environmental Education Research, 16(5–6), 511–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2010.505427
Tomás, M. R. V., Vicente, J. S. Y., De La Cruz, M. D. B., & Acha, D. M. H. (2023). University Social Responsibility From an Environmental Perspective. EARTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN CONSTRUCTIONS, 3, 1–11. Portico. https://doi.org/10.37394/232024.2023.3.1
UNESCO. (2017). Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning objectives. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
https://doi.org/10.54675/CGBA9153
United Nations. (1992). Agenda 21: Programme of action for sustainable development. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
Universitas Indonesia. (2022). UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2022: Methodology and results. UI GreenMetric Secretariat. http://greenmetric.ui.ac.id
University of Waterloo (2021). University of Waterloo environmental sustainability report. University of Waterloo: President’s Advisory Committee on Stainability.