IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i15p8273-d600521.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“I Wanted a Profession That Makes a Difference”—An Online Survey of First-Year Students’ Study Choice Motives and Sustainability-Related Attributes

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Oberrauch

    (Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Helga Mayr

    (Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Ivan Nikitin

    (Department Entrepreneurial Management, University of Applied Science of the Grisons, 7000 Chur, Switzerland)

  • Tanja Bügler

    (Department Alpine Region Development, University of Applied Science of the Grisons, 7000 Chur, Switzerland)

  • Thorsten Kosler

    (Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Christian Vollmer

    (Department of Research and Development in Teacher Education, University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

Abstract

Higher education institutions are obligated to facilitate students in the development of sustainability competencies, which enable them to act as “change agents” in their future profession-specific environment. Therefore, students’ study motives, prior knowledge, attitudes, and experiences regarding sustainability should be considered when designing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programmes. The present study compares first-year students in teacher training with first-year students in other study programmes and explores their study choice motives as well as sustainability-related conceptions, engagement and self-efficacy beliefs using a semi-standardised online questionnaire. Results show that the choice of study is dominated by intrinsic factors and the relevance of extrinsic factors differs by degree programmes with lower extrinsic values for the teacher training students. Regarding sustainability, we find simple and often unelaborated concepts. Teacher training students show significantly higher scores than non-teacher training students regarding the sustainability-related behavioural domain and self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, a gender gap increasing with age and with lower sustainability scores for older males could be identified but only for teacher training students. In conclusion, the results show valuable starting points as well as challenges that should be considered when designing target-oriented learning processes in (inter)disciplinary sustainability courses at higher education institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Oberrauch & Helga Mayr & Ivan Nikitin & Tanja Bügler & Thorsten Kosler & Christian Vollmer, 2021. "“I Wanted a Profession That Makes a Difference”—An Online Survey of First-Year Students’ Study Choice Motives and Sustainability-Related Attributes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-28, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8273-:d:600521
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8273/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8273/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eva-Maria Waltner & Werner Rieß & Christoph Mischo, 2019. "Development and Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Student Sustainability Competencies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, March.
    2. V. Kerry Smith, 1995. "Does education induce people to improve the environment?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(4), pages 599-604.
    3. Franziska Bertschy & Christine Künzli & Meret Lehmann, 2013. "Teachers’ Competencies for the Implementation of Educational Offers in the Field of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-14, November.
    4. Anna Reid & Peter Petocz & Paul Taylor, 2009. "Business Students’ Conceptions of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-12, September.
    5. Anna Sundermann & Daniel Fischer, 2019. "How Does Sustainability Become Professionally Relevant? Exploring the Role of Sustainability Conceptions in First Year Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1, September.
    6. Gerhard Reese & Eva A. Junge, 2017. "Keep on Rockin’ in a (Plastic-)Free World: Collective Efficacy and Pro-Environmental Intentions as a Function of Task Difficulty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, February.
    7. Daniel Hanss & Gisela Böhm & Rouven Doran & Andreas Homburg, 2016. "Sustainable Consumption of Groceries: the Importance of Believing that One Can Contribute to Sustainable Development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(6), pages 357-370, November.
    8. Gemma Tejedor & Jordi Segalàs & Ángela Barrón & Mónica Fernández-Morilla & M. Teresa Fuertes & Jorge Ruiz-Morales & Ibón Gutiérrez & Esther García-González & Pilar Aramburuzabala & Àngels Hernández, 2019. "Didactic Strategies to Promote Competencies in Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-24, April.
    9. Michael Von Hauff & Thuan Nguyen, 2014. "Universities as Potential Actors for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(5), pages 1-21, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Fábio Albuquerque & Ana Isabel Dias & Alexandra Domingos, 2023. "The Students’ Intrinsic Motivation for Learning Non-Financial Information Matters from Their Self-Identification as Global Citizens," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, May.
    2. Aida Guerra & Dan Jiang & Xiangyun Du, 2022. "Student Agency for Sustainability in a Systemic PBL Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Gemma Tejedor & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalàs, 2022. "Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education-Introduction to a Special Issue," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-6, August.
    4. Xiangyun Du & Aida Guerra & Bente Nørgaard & Youmen Chaaban & Adrian Lundberg & Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf, 2022. "University Teachers’ Change Readiness to Implement Education for Sustainable Development through Participation in a PBL-Based PD Program," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Werner Riess & Monika Martin & Christoph Mischo & Hans-Georg Kotthoff & Eva-Maria Waltner, 2022. "How Can Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Be Effectively Implemented in Teaching and Learning? An Analysis of Educational Science Recommendations of Methods and Procedures to Promote ESD Goa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    2. Kifah Imara & Fahriye Altinay, 2021. "Integrating Education for Sustainable Development Competencies in Teacher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Thea Gregersen & Rouven Doran & Gisela Böhm & Wouter Poortinga, 2021. "Outcome expectancies moderate the association between worry about climate change and personal energy-saving behaviors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(5), pages 1-19, May.
    4. Pere Busquets & Jordi Segalas & Antonio Gomera & Miguel Antúnez & Jorge Ruiz-Morales & Silvia Albareda-Tiana & Rafael Miñano, 2021. "Sustainability Education in the Spanish Higher Education System: Faculty Practice, Concerns and Needs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-14, July.
    5. Sibilla Montanari & Evi Agostini & Denis Francesconi, 2023. "Are We Talking about Green Skills or Sustainability Competences? A Scoping Review Using Scientometric Analysis of Two Apparently Similar Topics in the Field of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-25, September.
    6. Stefan Steiniger & M. Ebrahim Poorazizi & Andrew J. S. Hunter, 2016. "Planning with Citizens: Implementation of an e-Planning Platform and Analysis of Research Needs," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 1(2), pages 46-64.
    7. Rocío Valderrama-Hernández & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Lucía Alcántara Rubio & Dolores Limón-Domínguez, 2019. "Methodology to Analyze the Effectiveness of ESD in a Higher Degree in Education. A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    8. Cecilia Smaniotto & Claudio Battistella & Laura Brunelli & Edoardo Ruscio & Antonella Agodi & Francesco Auxilia & Valentina Baccolini & Umberto Gelatti & Anna Odone & Rosa Prato & Stefano Tardivo & Gi, 2020. "Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda: Awareness, Knowledge and Attitudes in Nine Italian Universities, 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-18, December.
    9. Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Jordi Segalas & Gorka Bueno & Pere Busquets & Joan Climent & Victor G. Galofré & Boris Lazzarini & David Lopez & Carme Martín & Rafael Miñano & Estíbaliz Sáez de Cámara & Bá, 2021. "Tools for Embedding and Assessing Sustainable Development Goals in Engineering Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-30, November.
    10. Mohd Yusoff Yusliza & Amirudin Amirudin & Raden Aswin Rahadi & Nik Afzan Nik Sarah Athirah & Thurasamy Ramayah & Zikri Muhammad & Francesca Dal Mas & Maurizio Massaro & Jumadil Saputra & Safiek Mokhli, 2020. "An Investigation of Pro-Environmental Behaviour and Sustainable Development in Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-21, August.
    11. Maria Victoria G. Violanda & Dennis V. Madrigal, 2021. "Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): A Journey Towards Sustainable Future," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 20(1), pages 172-180, June.
    12. María Pilar de la Cruz López & Juan José Cartelle Barros & Alfredo del Caño Gochi & Manuel Lara Coira, 2021. "New Approach for Managing Sustainability in Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-27, June.
    13. Liwen Chen & Tung-Liang Chen, 2018. "International Students’ Conceptions of the Sustainable Internationalization of Business Education in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-12, November.
    14. Susanne Kubisch & Sandra Parth & Veronika Deisenrieder & Karin Oberauer & Johann Stötter & Lars Keller, 2020. "From Transdisciplinary Research to Transdisciplinary Education—The Role of Schools in Contributing to Community Well-Being and Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    15. Marie Merle & Gerhard Reese & Stefan Drews, 2019. "#Globalcitizen: An Explorative Twitter Analysis of Global Identity and Sustainability Communication," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-10, June.
    16. Sung-Shun Weng & Yang Liu & Juan Dai & Yen-Ching Chuang, 2020. "A Novel Improvement Strategy of Competency for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) of University Teachers Based on Data Mining," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, March.
    17. Maura A. E. Pilotti & Runna Al Ghazo, 2020. "Sustainable Education Starts in the Classroom," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-13, November.
    18. Masami Yoshida, 2022. "Effects of Using World Indicators for Online ESD Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, October.
    19. Alain Ulazia & Gabriel Ibarra-Berastegi, 2020. "Problem-Based Learning in University Studies on Renewable Energies: Case of a Laboratory Windpump," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, March.
    20. Derk Jan Stobbelaar, 2020. "Impact of Student Interventions on Urban Greening Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-19, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8273-:d:600521. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.