Taiwanese Students’ Knowledge of Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Hospitality and Tourism: Developing and Testing an Assessment Instrument

Abstract

This study develops an instrument for assessing the energy conservation and carbon reduction (ECCR) knowledge of undergraduate hospitality and tourism students in Taiwan. Based on an extensive literature review, we identified a knowledge framework incorporating 10 dimensions of ECCR knowledge related to hospitality and tourism. Using academic judgment and Bloom’s 2-way specification table process, we developed a multiple-choice item pool to finalize the assessment items. Through a questionnaire survey administered to 1,200 undergraduate hospitality and tourism students, 37 ECCR knowledge items were determined with appropriate levels of item reliability, difficulty, and discrimination. This validated instrument can help hospitality and tourism educators identify where and how to improve the ECCR knowledge of students for environmental sustainability. Specific implications and recommendations of this study are also provided.

Keywords:

• assessment
• instrument
• energy conservation and carbon reduction
• hospitality and tourism education