University Students’ Stages of Engagement and Levels of Impact in Adopting Environmentally Sustainable Practices

Abstract

Scholarly investigations into university students’ engagement with environmentally sustainable practices have utilized various measures, yet there remains a significant gap in evaluating the adoption of sustainable initiatives and their associated impacts at individual, community, and societal levels. Additionally, there is a lack of understanding of student progression through the stages of change in adopting energy-efficient and sustainable behaviours. These gaps hinder the development of targeted interventions that can effectively promote consistent and impactful sustainable actions. To address these gaps, this paper presents a pilot study examining the stages of engagement and levels of impact of university students’ adoption of energy efficiency and sustainability practices. Utilizing the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (1982) and Kaufman's Five Levels of Evaluation (1994), the study explores the stages of sustainability adoption and assesses impacts at the micro (self), macro (community), and mega (societal) levels. Conducted with a sample of 79 students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Puncak Alam Campus, this quantitative study examined respondents’ engagement and levels of impact in relation to behaviours and self-efficacy. The findings reveal that students' engagement with energy conservation and sustainability practices ranges from 'engaged but not yet consistent' to 'habitual,' indicating a mix of developing and habitual sustainable behaviours. The study also highlights a gap between awareness and action, with students demonstrating strong personal commitment to safety-related energy-efficient behaviours (micro level) but limited engagement in broader societal initiatives (mega level). Future research should focus on expanding sample sizes, employing longitudinal designs, and testing stage-specific interventions in yielding more robust evidence. The study contributes to the academic understanding of sustainability practices and offers practical implications for fostering a culture of sustainability in higher education.