Sustainability in higher education institutions

: what is it and how to quantify it?

Abstract

This dissertation investigates and assesses sustainability literacy among Portuguese university students and teachers, as well as the current role and future contribution of higher education institutions (HEIs). After a comprehensive literature review, items from previous studies were selected and adapted (Karimi and Hakim (2024), Olsson et al. (2015), Michalos et al. (2011), Zwickle and Jones (2018)Leal et al. (2024), Aleixo et al. (2021)) to construct a questionnaire focused on three main constructs - knowledge, behaviour and attitude. The final sample included 163 valid responses (117 students and 46 teachers). The data were subjected to statistical analysis - including correlations and Cronbach’s α - and the calculation of indexes for each construct, followed by the interpretation of the results and the creation of two interactive dashboards for each group. The results revealed a gap between the knowledge index and the attitude and behaviour indexes and point to the need for higher education institutions to take a more active role in promoting sustainability literacy in Portugal.

Date of Award	27 Oct 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria Silva (Supervisor)