Environmental Education Awareness in Light of Sustainable Development Goals and Its Relationship with Environmental Responsibility Among University Students

This study investigated the relationship between environmental education awareness in light of the Sustainable Development Goals and environmental responsibility among Egyptian university students. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 582 university students recruited through convenience sampling from four Egyptian educational institutions. Participants completed the Environmental Education Awareness Scale (EEAS-SDG) and the Environmental Responsibility Scale (ERS), both demonstrating excellent psychometric properties. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation, linear regression, and univariate analysis of variance to examine relationships and group differences. The results revealed an exceptionally strong positive correlation (r = 0.848, p < 0.001) between environmental education awareness and environmental responsibility, with environmental education awareness explaining 71.9% of the variance in environmental responsibility scores. Female students demonstrated significantly higher levels of both constructs compared to male students (p < 0.001), while no significant differences were found based on residential background. The findings challenge traditional assumptions about the knowledge-action gap in environmental education, suggesting that SDG-aligned environmental education can effectively bridge the theory-practice divide when properly implemented. The study recommends integrating comprehensive environmental education programs aligned with SDG frameworks into higher education curricula and developing gender-inclusive approaches to maximize environmental responsibility development among future leaders and decision-makers.