Title

THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCIENCE LITERACY AND
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Author(s)

MAICA JOY M. ELECCION

LILY GLAIZA C. GALLO

Affiliation

MISAMIS UNIVERSITY

Degree Program

Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) – Science

Contributor

NANUD, MAY NOREN D. - Adviser

BALUYOS, GENELYN R. - Instructor

BAZAR, JAME S. - Panel

GALINDO, RUSSEL P. - Panel

Year

2025

Abstract

As global environmental issues escalate, understanding how science education contributes to sustainable behavior becomes increasingly vital. This study investigated the mediating role of environmental awareness in the relationship between science literacy and sustainable practices among college students. With the use of descriptive-correlational research design, the researchers were able to measure the relationship among variables without manipulation. A total of 323 college students were enrolled in science-related courses at Misamis University were chosen through stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected from a diverse sample of college students through standardized questionnaires. Utilizing the Jamovi software, the researchers were able to use several statistical tools including mean and standard deviation, correlation, regression analysis, and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that there were (T1-T3) very high remarks about the students’ level of science literacy, environmental awareness, and sustainable practices; (T4-T5) highly significant positive relationships between and among the variables; (T6) the best predictors of students’ sustainable practices were knowledge of environmental issues and attitudes toward environmental protection; (T7) all paths in the mediation model and the path coefficients among the variables were statistically significant, although the direct effect of science literacy on sustainable practices was not, supporting the researchers’ hypotheses. Furthermore, environmental awareness significantly mediated the relationship between science literacy and sustainable practices, accounting for 78.6% of the total effect, indicating strong full mediation. These results suggest that science literacy enhances environmental awareness, which leads to sustainable practices. Therefore, the study recommends integrating both cognitive and affective components in science education to develop environmentally responsible college students.

Keywords

science literacy, environmental awareness, sustainable practices, environmental education, student behavior, sustainability education, pro-environmental behavior