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Student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development (2015)

Research into student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development (SD) was conducted for a fifth consecutive year. This annual study:

  • updates our understanding on student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development through 3845 first-year and 1747 second-year respondents in academic year 2014-2015
  • identifies trends in demands and expectations from first-year students new to university
  • tracks longitudinal demands and expectations from first-year students as they progress through their university career
  • analyses the longitudinal variability in 21 304 student responses between 2010 and 2014.

Surveys were designed for first and third-year students. The content repeated the previous questions to capture comparable longitudinal data. There was no reference to sustainable development in its promotion to reduce bias. Responses were weighted to reflect the demographic makeup of the UK student population.

Research into employers’ attitudes towards and skills needs for sustainable development (SD) was conducted alongside the longitudinal student-facing research in 2014. The study focused on experience of recent graduates aimed to:

  • understand levels of identification of skills needs around sustainable development across sectors and varying characteristics
  • understand employers’ understanding of and attitudes towards sustainability issues
  • explore how and why skills for sustainability are relevant for organisational leaders and for those involved in recruitment of recent graduates
  • gain insight into gaps in skills for sustainable development amongst recent graduates entering employment 
  • identify the role that higher education can play in addressing skills gaps among graduates but also in working with employers to identify skills needs and opportunities for skills development.

The reports
Executive summary: Employer attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development
This report provides detail on employers’ perceptions of the importance relevance and experience of skills for sustainability amongst recent graduates and provides a comparison between employer and student perspectives.

Executive summary: Students' attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development
This report provides an overview of the key findings from the fifth-year of research into student attitudes towards and skills for sustainable development in higher education and beyond.

Summary 1: Existing skills  the influence of further education
This report considers students’ experience of teaching and learning on sustainability during their time in further education and the relevance of this learning for their experiences in higher education.

Summary 2: Understanding attitudes and behaviours for sustainable development during higher education
This report looks at students’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development and how this translates to every day behaviour.

Summary 3: Learning and using skills for sustainable development during higher education 
This report focuses on students’ demand for perceptions of relevance and experiences of learning skills for sustainable development during their time in higher education.

Summary 4: Sustainability skills and employability
This report provides detail of students’ perceptions of the relevance of sustainability skills for their careers after leaving higher education along with detail on the prioritisation of sustainability within future roles.

Appendix 1: Research methodology

Appendix 2: Desk review  –  students attitudes

Appendix 3: Desk review –  employer attitudes

Appendix 4: University skills survey – first-years

Appendix 5: Sustainability skills survey – employers

 

Employer attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Executive summary Employers.pdf
03/09/2015
Employer attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Executive summary Employers.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Executive summary Students.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Executive summary Students.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Summary 1 Existing skills – the influence of further education.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Summary 1 Existing skills – the influence of further education.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Summary 2 Understanding attitudes and behaviours for sustainable development during higher education.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Summary 2 Understanding attitudes and behaviours for sustainable development during higher education.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Summary 3 Learning and using skills for sustainable development during higher education.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Summary 3 Learning and using skills for sustainable development during higher education.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development Summary 4 Sustainability, skills and employability.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development Summary 4 Sustainability, skills and employability.pdf View Document
Attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 1 Research methodology.pdf
03/09/2015
Attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 1 Research methodology.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 2 Desk review summary.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 2 Desk review summary.pdf View Document
Employer attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 3 Desk review summary_0.pdf
03/09/2015
Employer attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 3 Desk review summary_0.pdf View Document
Attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 4a University skills survey – first-years.pdf
03/09/2015
Attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 4a University skills survey – first-years.pdf View Document
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 5 Sustainability skills survey – employers.pdf
03/09/2015
Student attitudes towards, and skills for, sustainable development. Appendix 5 Sustainability skills survey – employers.pdf View Document

The materials published on this page were originally created by the Higher Education Academy.