Eco-schools in higher education institutions: analysing Portuguese students’ practices and perspectives

Concerning all the challenges that we currently face, it is of the utmost importance to prioritize Education for Sustainable Development as a way to contribute to a more sustainable world. Higher Education Institutions are considered to be fundamental to this process, albeit the slow progress verified in the transition to real sustainable institutions. Eco-Schools programme is concerned with Education for Sustainable Development and may contribute to this transition. In this study, we analysed Portuguese Higher Education Students’ Practices and Perspectives concerning Sustainable Development, environmental protection, and the relevance of Eco-Schools programme. For this purpose, we applied a questionnaire (Microsoft Forms), which was previously adapted and validated, in two different Portuguese Higher Education Institutions. This study was conducted in 2021/2022 school year with the participation of 288 Higher Education Students. Here we present and discuss the results of three selected questions. Although the majority of students separate waste for recycling, they also reveal some lack of knowledge concerning this process. The bulk of them also considered important the implementation of programmes, such as Eco-schools programme, in Higher Education Institutions. Thus, more research must be carried out in order to better understand the challenges faced when implementing a programme of this nature and what could be improved in order for us to give a better contribution towards a more sustainable world.