An Approach to Environmental Knowledge of Undergraduates in Engineering (Spain): Effect of Environmental Subjects

Abstract

An approach to the effect of environmental subjects on the environmental knowledge of undergraduates in Engineering was examined in this work. Two subjects, common to five different Engineering degrees (Industrial, Electric and Electronic, Mechanic, Industrial Chemistry and Automatic), taught at University of Oviedo, were selected for this study: “Environmental Engineering” (6 ECTS credits), a compulsory subject corresponding with the third year, and “Ecodesign” (6 ECTS credits), an optional subject corresponding with the fourth year. Twenty-three students between 20 and 23 years old and twenty-five students between 21 and 24 years old who took “Environmental Engineering” and “Ecodesign”, respectively, participated in the study. The students’ knowledge was evaluated prior and once the subjects had been taught by the same questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale. Results showed that, considering the initial knowledge, the students were aware of the current environmental problems and, furthermore, their knowledge improved after taking the subjects. Additionally, women showed a better initial perception of environmental issues than men, whereas students living in rural areas exhibited a better knowledge about environmental problems than those living in urban areas. Even though this study is limited, it may still offer important insights regarding the environmental perception of Engineering undergraduates. It is an issue of great interest, since many of them will become the professionals that would have to face environmental challenges in the future. Certainly, this work stresses the importance of additional research on this complex issue.