How academic discipline shapes students’ environmental sustainability awareness and participation: Evidence from Knust, Ghana

Abstract

Environmental sustainability has become a central priority for higher education institutions, yet students' awareness and participation in sustainability initiatives remain uneven across academic disciplines. This study examined environmental sustainability awareness, participation, and perceived barriers among undergraduate students from the Departments of Geography and Rural Development, Economics, and Political Studies at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. A descriptive case study design was employed, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 purposively selected undergraduate students. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that although students generally demonstrated awareness of environmental sustainability, their understanding and participation differed across academic disciplines. Sustainability engagement was influenced by the extent to which sustainability was integrated into academic programmes, with greater curriculum exposure associated with higher levels of awareness and participation. The study also identified institutional barriers, including inadequate funding, limited institutional support, and poor coordination of sustainability initiatives, as key constraints to student engagement. The findings underscore the need for higher education institutions to adopt a whole-institution approach that integrates sustainability across curricula, strengthens institutional support, and expands experiential learning opportunities to promote meaningful student participation in sustainability initiatives. The study contributes empirical evidence on disciplinary differences in environmental sustainability engagement and provides practical insights for designing more inclusive and effective sustainability strategies in higher education.