Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior Among University Students Through Sustainability Education and Institutional Support: A Mediated Moderation Model

Shuyu Qi, Mu Niu and Ziyuan Guan ()
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Shuyu Qi: School of Higher Education, The Capital Research and Development Center for Engineering Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Mu Niu: School of Higher Education, The Capital Research and Development Center for Engineering Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Ziyuan Guan: School of Education, City University of Macau, Avenida Padre Tomás Pereira Taipa, Macau 999078, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-22

Abstract: Promoting pro-environmental behavior among university students is a critical component of advancing sustainability in higher education. This study investigated how sustainability education influences students’ environmental behavior through internal psychological mechanisms and the enabling role of institutional support. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior and integrating the concept of psychological commitment, by constructing a moderated mediation model, this research reveals how educational and psychological factors, supported by external incentives, collectively shape students’ environmental intentions and actions. Using structural equation modeling, the results confirm that sustainability education significantly improves pro-environmental intentions and behaviors, mediated by students’ psychological commitment to environmental values. The findings underscore the importance of embedding sustainability education into academic curricula, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and reinforcing behavioral intentions through supportive institutional environments. Practical recommendations are proposed for universities seeking to design more effective environmental education strategies and build greener campus communities.

Keywords: sustainability education; pro-environmental behavior; psychological commitment; institutional support; higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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