Baseline Sustainable Literacy Assessment

In 2025, Lac Hong University (LHU) introduced its first-ever pilot Sustainability Literacy Assessment to evaluate students' knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and self-assessed skills related to sustainable development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The pilot assessment aims to establish a baseline understanding of sustainability literacy among undergraduate and postgraduate students, identify learning needs, and support future improvements in sustainability education.

What does the assessment measure?

The assessment uses multiple-choice questions and Likert-scale items to examine the following areas:

• Sustainability Knowledge: Students' understanding of sustainable development principles, the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability, and the interconnected nature of the SDGs.

• Sustainability Attitudes: Students' awareness of and attitudes towards environmental protection, social responsibility, equity, and sustainable development.

• Sustainability Behaviours: Students' self-reported practices related to energy conservation, waste reduction, responsible consumption, and sustainable lifestyles.

• Self-Assessed Sustainability Skills: Students' perceived ability to apply sustainability-related competencies, including critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and decision-making.

• SDG Engagement: Students' interests in sustainability-related competitions, projects, and educational activities.

The questionnaire also collects demographic information to support the interpretation of assessment results.

Supporting continuous improvement

As LHU's first pilot assessment, the initiative provides a foundation for developing a systematic approach to measuring students' sustainability literacy.

The assessment is designed to help the University identify areas for improvement, strengthen sustainability-related teaching and learning activities, and encourage greater student engagement with the SDGs.

The pilot also establishes a starting point for future assessments, enabling LHU to monitor changes in students' sustainability literacy and progressively evaluate how effectively students learn and retain key sustainability concepts.

Through this initiative, LHU demonstrates its commitment to evidence-based sustainability education and preparing graduates to contribute to sustainable development.