A SCALE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY LITERACY

Abstract

The transition toward sustainable society requires effective sustainability education broadly. In this regard, the studies for assessment and observation of sustainability literacy have become important specially. From this point, the study aims to develop a scale for sustainability literacy. The study was conducted with university students in the UK within the context of a project that has been supported by TUBITAK (Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Organization) and entitled “Ecological literacy education”. The participants (n: 523) of the study consist of students studying on several departments of Plymouth University in the UK. The data was tested by using the appropriate statistical tests at SPSS 22. The structure validity of the scale was investigated using Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and according to factor loading value of any items. The reliability of the scale was tested according to Cronbach’s alpha score limited to the dimensions of sustainability attitude (SA) and sustainability behaviour (SB) particularly. The findings show that the scale is suitable for measuring of participants’ sustainability literacy within the factors of “sustainability attitude (SA)”, “sustainability behaviour (SB)”, “sustainability knowledge (SK)” and “sustainability perception (SP)”. The results suggest that the scale can be used to assess sustainability literacy reliable.