Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours towards Sustainable Development: Two Exploratory Studies

The report details the development of survey instruments to measure sustainable development (SD) literacy among Manitoban adults and students. Findings indicate that while general knowledge and positive attitudes toward SD are high, they do not strongly translate into sustainable behaviours. For adults, favourable attitudes and general education levels were the strongest predictors of sustainable behaviour, whereas for students, gender and attitudes were more influential. The authors conclude that current survey items lack sufficient discriminating power to serve as definitive standardized tests, but provide a baseline for future monitoring of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD).

• Adult respondents in Manitoba demonstrated a high basic familiarity with sustainable development, with approximately 50 per cent scoring 80 per cent or higher on the knowledge test, which indicated the test lacked the discriminating power to distinguish between different levels of knowledge.
• Among adults, there is a significant gap between positive attitudes and actual sustainable behaviours; while over 90 per cent reported recycling, other actions such as ethical investment and volunteerism were significantly lower.
• Adults showed a specific lack of understanding regarding the link between gender equality and sustainable development, with less than half of respondents believing the two were related.
• Student knowledge of sustainable development generally increased with grade level, with high correct response rates for water and poverty issues, but low familiarity with the concept of 'social justice'.
• Sustainable behaviours among students showed a regression in some areas as they got older; for example, recycling rates dropped from 57-58 per cent in Grades 6 and 8 to 35 per cent in Grades 9-12.
• Only 14 per cent of the total student sample reported having taken a course where sustainable development was discussed.
• For both adults and students, having favourable attitudes toward sustainable development was a more influential predictor of sustainable behaviour than age, general education, or specific SD knowledge.
• In the adult sample, the highest level of general education completed was a more significant predictor of sustainable behaviours than specific knowledge of sustainable development.
• In the student sample, gender was a significant predictor of sustainable behaviour, with girls being more disposed toward sustainable lifestyles.
• A global survey of UNESCO members indicated widespread confusion between 'education for sustainable development' and 'environmental education', suggesting that global progress toward DESD goals is slower than anticipated.

APA

Michalos, A. C., Creech, H., McDonald, C., & Kahlke, P. M. H. (2009). Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours towards Sustainable Development: Two Exploratory Studies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measuring_knowledge_sd.pdf

Chicago

Michalos, Alex C., Heather Creech, Christina McDonald, and P. Maurine Hatch Kahlke. Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours towards Sustainable Development: Two Exploratory Studies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measuring_knowledge_sd.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Michalos |first1=Alex C. |last2=Creech |first2=Heather |last3=McDonald |first3=Christina |last4=Kahlke |first4=P. Maurine Hatch |title=Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours towards Sustainable Development: Two Exploratory Studies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measuring_knowledge_sd.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{michalos2009measuring, author = {Michalos, Alex C. and Creech, Heather and McDonald, Christina and Kahlke, P. Maurine Hatch}, title = {{Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours towards Sustainable Development: Two Exploratory Studies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/measuring_knowledge_sd.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }