EDUCATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS: INSIGHTS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION IN TURKEY
CURRENT APPROACHES IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: EMOTIONS, WELL-BEING, AND EDUCATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY.EĞİTİM PSİKOLOJİSİNDE GÜNCEL YAKLAŞIMLAR: DUYGULAR, İYİ OLUŞ VE EĞİTİMSEL SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK, OKAN SARIGÖZ, Editör, Bidge Yayınları, Ankara, ss.27-65, 2026
- Yayın Türü: Kitapta Bölüm / Araştırma Kitabı
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.70269/10.70269/9665914669
- Yayınevi: Bidge Yayınları
- Basıldığı Şehir: Ankara
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.27-65
- Editörler: OKAN SARIGÖZ, Editör
- İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Abstract Sustainability education in universities focuses on
equipping students to make responsible decisions concerning
environmental, social, and economic issues. Gaining insight into
students’ perspectives is crucial for developing curricula and
institutional policies that encourage sustainable behaviors. Research
on this topic within Turkish higher education is still scarce.A survey
using a cross-sectional design was carried out with 210 students in
Tur-key. The Attitudes toward Sustainable Development Scale
measured perceptions of educational sustainability on a five-point
Likert scale. Demographic variables and experiential variables are
also included. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and
independent samples t-tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.This
study explored how university students perceive educational
sustainability (N = 210). Overall, students showed a moderately
positive attitude toward sustainability in their academic environment
(M = 3.72, SD = 0.64). Female students tended to report slightly
higher perceptions than their male peers, while those with work
experience or a history of volunteering demonstrated greater
awareness of sustainability issues. The findings underscore the role
of hands-on experience and active engagement in fostering
sustainability-minded attitudes among students. Findings suggest
that experiential learning plays a critical role in shaping students’
understanding of educational sustaina-bility. Universities can
enhance sustainability awareness by incorporating internships,
community projects, and volunteer opportunities into academic
programs. This study provides empirical evidence from Turkey,
contribu-ting to the literature on the role of experiential engagement
in promoting sustainable education in higher education contexts.
Keywords: educational sustainability, student perceptions, higher
education, experiential learning