Sustainability knowledge, attitudes and behaviors Psychometric properties and perceptions among sport science students in higher education
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Sustainable development is a widely used concept today, making education for sustainable development one of the pillars of the 2030 Agenda. Recent research highlights persistent disparities between students' cognitive understanding of sustainability and their actual sustainable actions. In this context, this research aims to analyse the psychometric properties of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire in a sample of 201 undergraduate students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences program. Secondly, it assesses perceptions of sustainability awareness segmented by gender and academic year. The results reveal adequate psychometric properties in a factor structure that differs slightly from the original. Student assessments show higher scores among women, with significant differences compared to men in 17 of the 27 items. Regarding academic year, first-year students (1st and 2nd year) showed higher scores overall, although the differences were significant in only 2 items. These findings confirm the existence of a cognitive-behavioural gap that limits the effective integration of sustainability in higher education. The study underscores the need to strengthen experiential and transformative learning approaches that promote not only awareness but also real behavioural change in university settings.
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