Abstract:

This research analyzes how the university can contribute to the development of sustainable behaviors in students through interventions aimed at raising awareness and sensitizing them about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as working on specific competencies and skills. To achieve this, a survey was conducted among students in the Bachelor's degree program in Business Administration and Management.

The results presented in this work are related to the following research questions:
- What is the initial interest (predisposition) of our students in sustainability-related topics? Is there a relationship between this predisposition and their sustainable behaviors?
- What is the level of knowledge students have about the SDGs at the beginning of the course? Is the knowledge of the SDGs related to their sustainable behaviors?
- To what extent are their competencies and skills related to their interest in sustainability-related topics and their sustainable behaviors?

Model and research hypothesis:
H1: Sustainability Interest positively affects Behaviours among university students.
H2: Sustainability Interest indirectly positively affects Behaviours through the mediating variable SDG Knowledge among university students.
H2a: Sustainability Interest positively affects SDG Knowledge among university students.
H2b: SDG Knowledge positively affects Behaviours among university students.
H3: Sustainability Interest indirectly positively affects Behaviours through the mediating variable Competencies & Skills among university students.
H3a: Sustainability Interest positively affects Competencies & Skills among university students.
H3b: Competencies & Skills positively affect Behaviours at times among university students.

To evaluate the project, a questionnaire was designed and distributed in Spanish and English to the students. The Loyola University Ethics Committee approved the questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to the 814 students enrolled in the ADE courses involved in the educational innovation project, obtaining a total of 689 responses (72,07%). This research uses PLS (Partial Least Squares), a variance-based approach to structural equation modelling (SEM), with a dual–exploratory and predictive – purpose. The structural model confirms all the hypothesised direct and indirect relationships, except the indirect relationship H2 (the mediating role of SDG Knowledge between Sustainability Interests and Behaviours).

Keywords:

Sustainability, SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), Student Behaviour, Competencies, PLS.