What are university students’ attitudes towards green growth?
Results of a pilot study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2026.60.01.03Keywords:
green growth, sustainability,, university students, environmental attitudesAbstract
THE AIM OF THE PAPER
The aim of this research is to explore and understand the attitudes of students enrolled in economics
and business programmes toward green growth and sustainability. The study seeks to reveal how
students relate to environmental protection, sustainable development, and related initiatives, and to
what extent – and in what ways – these attitudes and opinions influence their everyday lives.
METHODOLOGY
The findings of the literature review were compared with responses obtained from a questionnaire administered to students studying economics and business at the University of Debrecen. The questionnaire was supplemented with five questions measuring general scientific literacy, allowing for a more nuanced examination and an attempt to answer the main research questions. The survey was completed in February 2024 by 565 BSc students enrolled in economics and business programmes. Given the sample size, the pilot nature of the present study is emphasised.
MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
No relationship was found between students’ scientific literacy and gender; however, students’ views on the importance of education in environmental protection show a correlation. Women generally perceive themselves as more responsible in the field of environmental protection. With regard to conscious consumption and active environmental protection, the results indicate that those who perceive personal responsibility for environmental degradation pay greater attention to environmental
issues. Gender differences emerged in questions related to purchasing habits, education and training,
and active environmental protection, with statistically significant differences observed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For higher education, the results suggest that the impact of sustainability-related content can be strengthened if topics of green growth in economics and business programmes are linked to basic natural science principles, including explanatory “why it works” frameworks. It is advisable to
make the connection between personal responsibility and everyday decisions (such as consumption and participation) more explicit through situational exercises, case studies, and behaviour-oriented
tasks (e.g., carbon footprint diaries, decision-making simulations). Since women and men assess
their responsibility differently, targeted, engaging communication and gamified activities may be particularly useful for less committed groups. For future institutional assessments, it is recommended to include questions on sustainability-related courses and to carry out the validation of measurement scales.
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