Developing and validating a scale to measure tertiary students’ sustainability competence in extracurricular settings in Asia

Abstract

This study aims to develop and validate a comprehensive scale for assessing students’ sustainability competence in education for sustainable development (ESD). Existing ESD assessment tools have faced criticism for lacking rigorous design and validation. Following a three-phase procedure proposed by Boateng et al., the study utilized qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and validate the scale. The scale was administered to 708 students participating in an extracurricular eTournament on Sustainable Development Goals organized by a Hong Kong university. The validation process involved expert panels, cognitive interviews, factor analyses, and assessments of internal consistency. Using Wiek et al.'s five-competence framework, 16 ESD learning outcomes were generated, forming the basis for the scale items. The survey included a mini-scenario introduction to enable students’ evaluation of sustainability practices, even with limited experience. Data analysis revealed a four-factor structure that could be both distinguished and integrated under a single upper-level factor. The scale is developed with the aim to better measuring tertiary students’ sustainability competence via a holistic and integrated approach, which completes the constructive alignment of current ESD, particularly in extracurricular settings.

Keywords:

• Education for sustainable development
• sustainability competence
• assessment tool
• scale development and validation
• extracurricular activities

Reviewing Editor:

• Sammy King Fai Hui, Curriculum & Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Subjects:

• Sustainable Development
• Assessment
• Sustainability Education, Training & Leadership
• Education - Social Sciences

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Tin Ka Ping Foundation (grant No. is inapplicable). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Research Ethics Committee of Hong Kong Baptist University (Case No. REC/20-21/0552).

Notes on contributors

Chong Xiao

Dr Xiao is an instructor at the Department of Applied Social Sciences and an associate fellow of the Institution of Higher Education Research and Development at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She has diverse experiences in instruction and assessment at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. As an experiential educator with a strong commitment to the scholarship of teaching and learning, Dr. Xiao’s research interests lie in curriculum and instruction, education for sustainable development, and education policy studies.

Kelvin Wan

Kelvin Wan works at the Centre for Teaching and Learning at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, focusing on initiatives aimed at augmenting the pedagogical efficacy of faculty members and enhancing students’ learning experiences through diverse digital solutions. He has contributed to various e-learning project, along with formulating policy pertinent to digital learning within the university. His main research interests include scale development, digital pedagogy and learning methodologies, game-based learning, and learning analytics in educational contexts.

Theresa Kwong

Theresa Kwong, Ph.D., SFHEA, is the Director of the Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning at Hong Kong Baptist University. She leads efforts to foster a culture of quality and advance the scholarship of teaching and learning within the University and beyond. She strategically promotes the development of educational technology and innovative pedagogies. Her research focuses on academic integrity, generic competencies, and technology-enhanced learning and assessment.