Awareness Towards Sustainable Development among Higher Secondary School Students in Odisha, India

Abstract

Awareness of sustainable development is indispensable for safeguarding the environment and ensuring intergenerational equity. At the higher secondary level, education plays a pivotal role in cultivating such awareness, as it shapes students’ attitudes and competencies toward sustainable futures. The present study aims to investigate the level of sustainable development awareness among higher secondary school students, with a particular focus on gender and academic stream as comparative variables. Employing a descriptive survey design, the investigation was conducted on a stratified random sample of 150 students. Data were collected using a structured instrument and analyzed through statistical measures, including mean, standard deviation, and independent sample t-tests. The sample included 150 students for gender comparison (75 male, 75 female) and 150 students across streams (Arts, Science, Commerce; n = 50 each). Independent samples t-tests were applied at the 0.05 level of significance. Male students (Mean = 76.87, SD = 10.19) scored slightly higher than female students (Mean = 75.93, SD = 10.41); however, the difference was not significant (t = 0.55, p > 0.05). Stream-wise analysis also revealed no significant differences. Arts students (Mean = 76.22, SD = 8.54) and Science students (Mean = 76.66, SD = 9.98) did not differ significantly (t = –0.24, p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was found between Arts and Commerce students (t = –0.05, p > 0.05) or between Science and Commerce students (t = 0.15, p > 0.05). Although marginally higher mean scores were observed among male and science students, no statistically significant differences were found across gender or academic streams, indicating a uniform level of sustainable development awareness among higher secondary school students.