SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARENESS OF SOCIAL SERVICE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the sustainable development awareness of the students studying in the social service program and to explain the factors that predict it. A survey method was used. Data were gathered with a scale called the "Sustainable Development Awareness Scale” developed by Ozturk-Demirbas (2011). Participants consisted of 55 students studying in the second year of the social service undergraduate program of a state university in Turkey. The measurement tool was applied to the students in an online environment in the first quarter of 2022. It was concluded that sustainable development awareness levels of social service undergraduate students are high in terms of environmental ethics, social factors, and total points and medium in terms of environmental-economic as measured in pre-service teachers in many other studies. Social service students' awareness of sustainable development was higher in the first two dimensions of the scale and lower in the third dimension when compared to the others. It has been revealed that the experiences during the normal flow of life do not have sufficient effect on this awareness. It is an important necessity for students to take action so that they can have concrete experiences in social responsibility projects and gain awareness of sustainable development. Article visualizations: