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AI Summary of Peer-Reviewed Research

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Student-led tool maps gaps in campus sustainability

A wide landscape view of a modern university campus showing a tree-lined pedestrian pathway with multiple people walking, flanked by contemporary brick and glass academic buildings under a partly cloudy sky.
Research area:Social SciencesEducationSustainability in Higher Education

What the study found

The study found that a student-led instrument for assessing sustainability in higher education institutions was validated and reduced to 25 items across four factors: campus services and facilities, resource policy and usage, sustainable built environment, and sustainability and technology.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors say the instrument can help higher education institutions track and align sustainability initiatives with student expectations. They also conclude that it supports iterative improvement and participatory governance, and extends socio-technical systems theory into higher education.

What the researchers tested

The researchers developed the instrument using a three-phase, mixed-methods approach grounded in socio-technical systems theory, which considers social and technical subsystems together. They refined 40 concept-mapped statements into a 25-item tool through exploratory factor analysis, then used confirmatory composite analysis and a normative-descriptive typology comparison across two Malaysian urban higher education institutions.

What worked and what didn't

The validated instrument produced four factors representing socio-technical dimensions of a sustainable campus. The results also showed significant discrepancies between student expectations and their observations of campus sustainability efforts, indicating gaps in institutional performance and communication.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe detailed limitations beyond the focus on two Malaysian urban higher education institutions. It also does not provide numerical effect sizes or the full content of the student expectations and observations.

Key points

  • A student-led sustainability instrument was validated for higher education institutions.
  • The final tool contains 25 items organized into four factors.
  • The four factors are campus services and facilities, resource policy and usage, sustainable built environment, and sustainability and technology.
  • The study found significant gaps between student expectations and observed campus sustainability efforts.
  • The authors say the instrument can support alignment, iterative improvement, and participatory governance.

Disclosure

Research title:
Student-led tool maps gaps in campus sustainability
Publication date:
2026-02-27
DOI:
10.1108/ijshe-05-2025-0388
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: AI provenance information is not available for this post.

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