ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Circular economy is believed to be the latest approach to replace the linear economy. However, in the context of higher education institutions, the awareness and sustainable practices regarding circular economy is still at par. Recent studies show that knowledge about the circular economy has not yet spread widely among university students. This study was done to identify the level of knowledge related to circular economy concept among undergraduate students. This study uses a quantitative methodology through a survey using a questionnaire towards 35 undergraduates’ students in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Cronbach's alpha value of 0.93 shows high reliability of the questionnaire items. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS software version 20 and reported descriptively. The results of the study show that there are seven items in the circular economy knowledge domain, and all of these items have a high mean value. This shows that UTM undergraduate students have extensive knowledge about the circular economy. The results of this study provide a meaningful contribution to stakeholders in planning appropriate curricula and programs for undergraduate students in higher education institutions. With a clearer understanding of students' level of knowledge about the circular economy, steps can be taken to strengthen knowledge about the circular economy in undergraduate education at UTM.
Abad-Segura, E., de la Fuente, A. B., González-Zamar, M. D., & Belmonte-Ureña, L. J. (2020). Effects of circular economy policies on the environment and sustainable growth: Worldwide research. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(14), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145792
Al-Naqbi, A. K., & Alshannag, Q. (2018). The status of education for sustainable development and sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of UAE University students. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(3), 566–588. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-06-2017-0091
Atiku, S. O. (2020). Knowledge Management for the Circular Economy (pp. 520–537). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-5116-5.ch027
Cipriano, P. F., Blanchard, K. A., & Rosa, W. E. (2021). Preventing Violence to Achieve Peaceful and Inclusive Societies. American Journal of Nursing, 121(9), 58–63. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000790652.74669.ec
Deda, D., Barros, M. V, Rigueiro, C., & Ribau Teixeira, M. (2022). From Linear to Circular Ideas: An Educational Contest. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811207
Ekhator, E. O., Miller, S., & Igbinosa, E. (2021). Introduction: Evolution of the SDGs framework. In Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria: Barriers, Prospects and Strategies (pp. 3–11). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003133469-2
Elford, W., & Eggers, K. (2021). Scaling Micronarrative with Machine Learning to Model Human and Environmental Wellbeing in Macro, Meso and Micro Systems. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, 220, 512–520. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74605-6_65
Ferrer, L. D., Sierra-Pérez, J., & Pérez, E. M. (2023). Beyond the 6Rs. A Practical and Reflective Experience for Industrial Design Students. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, 1013–1022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20325-1_79
Gatti, L., Ulrich, M., & Seele, P. (2019). Education for sustainable development through business simulation games: An exploratory study of sustainability gamification and its effects on students’ learning outcomes. Journal of Cleaner Production, 207, 667–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.09.130
Hewlett, D. O.-S., Shoko, M., & Chamunorwa, B. (2023). A fusion of structured and unstructured datasets in curating fire damage. Scientific African, 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2023.e01656
Ho Chin Siong, Yuzuru Matsuoka, & Omairi Hashim. (2012). Putrajaya Green City 2025.
Izzati Ramli, N., Shafee Kalid, K., & Wan Ahmad, W. F. (2021). Recycling and Reuse of Study Materials Among Students in a Malaysian Private University: A Circular Economy Perspective. International Conference on Research and Innovation in Information Systems, ICRIIS. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRIIS53035.2021.9617017
Kerlinger, F. N., & Lee, H. B. (2000). Foundations of Behavioral Research.
Khoury, M., Evans, B., Chen, O., Chen, A. S., Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia, L., Savic, D. A., Djordjevic, S., Bouziotas, D., Makropoulos, C., & Mustafee, N. (2023). NEXTGEN: A serious game showcasing circular economy in the urban water cycle. Journal of Cleaner Production, 391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136000
Loste, N., Chinarro, D., Gomez, M., Roldán, E., & Giner, B. (2020). Assessing awareness of green chemistry as a tool for advancing sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120392
Malik, P., Malik, P. K., Singh, R., & Gehlot, A. (2023). Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy and Environment. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, 617 LNNS, 455–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9512-5_42
Ministry of Finance. (2022). 2023 Pre-Budget Statement Ministry of Finance Malaysia.
Ministry of Finance Malaysia. (2023). UCAPAN BELANJAWAN 2023.
Mohd Majid Konting. (2005). Kaedah Penyelidikan Pendidikan (7th ed.). Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
Molderez, I., & Fonseca, E. (2018). The efficacy of real-world experiences and service learning for fostering competences for sustainable development in higher education. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 4397–4410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.04.062
Nelson, D., & Ionescu, G. (2021). Student sustainability knowledge gained from classroom and field experience. In Personal Sustainability Practices: Faculty Approaches to Walking the Sustainability Talk and Living the UN SDGs (pp. 184–195). Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85130209494&partnerID=40&md5=cb60b5d46f1ae3d781446a351c906d2e
Ogiemwonyi, O., & Jan, M. T. (2023). The correlative influence of consumer ethical beliefs, environmental ethics, and moral obligation on green consumption behavior. Resources, Conservation and Recycling Advances, 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2023.200171
Onopriienko, K., Onopriienko, V., Petrushenko, Y., & Onopriienko, I. (2021). Environmental education for youth and adults: A bibliometric analysis of research. E3S Web of Conferences, 234. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202123400002
Otake, Y., & Hagenimana, F. (2021). Gift economy and well-being: A mode of economy playing out in recovery from Rwandan tragedies. Sustainable Development, 29(5), 930–940. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2185
Owojori, O. M., Mulaudzi, R., & Edokpayi, J. N. (2022). Student’s Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception (KAP) to Solid Waste Management: A Survey towards a More Circular Economy from a Rural-Based Tertiary Institution in South Africa. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031310
Pallant, J. (2010). SPSS survival manual - a step by step guide to data analysis using SPSS for windows (version 10). . Buckingham Open University Press.
Palomares, I., Martínez-Cámara, E., Montes, R., García-Moral, P., Chiachio, M., Chiachio, J., Alonso, S., Melero, F. J., Molina, D., Fernández, B., Moral, C., Marchena, R., de Vargas, J. P., & Herrera, F. (2021). A panoramic view and swot analysis of artificial intelligence for achieving the sustainable development goals by 2030: progress and prospects. Applied Intelligence, 51(9), 6497–6527. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-021-02264-y
Rahmatika Dewi, Junita Widiati Arfani, & Didit Herawan. (2022). A Study Of Circular Economy Awareness In University Students - The Assessment Of Knowledge, Attitude And Behavior. Journal of World Trade Studies, 7(1).
Rahmawati, F., Achdiani, Y., & Maharani, S. (2021). Improving students’ learning outcomes using 5e learning cycle model. ASEAN Journal of Science and Engineering Education, , 1(2), 97-100.
Robertson, F. (2021). Social network influences on integrated reporting adoption and implementation – a UK perspective. Journal of Global Responsibility, 12(3), 317–346. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-08-2020-0080
Rosa, W. E., Burnett, C., Butler, C., Rolle, P., Salvage, J., Wignall, A., & Mason, D. J. (2021). The ICN Global Nursing Leadership Institute: Integrating the SDGs into Leadership and Policy Development. American Journal of Nursing, 121(12), 54–58. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000803204.19511.8a
Schenk, E. C., Potter, T. M., Cook, C., Huffling, K., & Rosa, W. E. (2021). Nurses Promoting Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable Cities and Communities: Taking Action on COVID-19, Systemic Racism, and Climate Change. American Journal of Nursing, 121(7), 66–69. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000758540.26343.2e
Sekaran, U. (1992). Research Methods For Business: A Skill Building Approach (Vol. 2). Wiley & Son, Inc.
Siddiqui, A., Altekar, S., Kautish, P., Fulzele, S., Kulkarni, N., Siddiqui, M., & Bashir, M. F. (2023). Review of measurement of sustainable development goals: a comprehensive bibliometric and visualized analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-28887-x
Song, W. (2023). Environmentality, Sustainability, and Chinese Storytelling. Cultura, 20(1), 55–66. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85165244017&partnerID=40&md5=c5376afc7dcdbe2a1d9b94207f385a8f
Vintere, A. (2020). Case study on sustainable environmental behavior in engineering education. Engineering for Rural Development, 19, 1509–1515. https://doi.org/10.22616/ERDev.2020.19.TF373
Virsta, A., Sandu, M. A., Daraban, A. E., & Manea, R. M. (2020). Gaps on waste management education in schools and universities from Bucharest. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology, 21(1), 334–342. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85082646004&partnerID=40&md5=113086431bbd46281b4082ff72057359
Xie, Z. (2021). The environmental protection path of world cultural heritage sites from the perspective of circular economy. International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 24(5–6), 493–507. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJETM.2021.117321
(Hamid et al., 2023)
Hamid, N. A., Rahman, A. L. A., Kamaruzaman, F. M., Omar, M., Rasul, M. S., & Othman, N. N. J. N. (2023). A Study on Level of Students Knowledge towards Circular Economy. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 12(3), 1863-1873.
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode