Assessing Students’ Attitudes toward Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change is a critical global issue that requires public awareness and engagement, particularly among younger and educated populations. This study aims to describe the level of university students’ attitudes toward climate change using a descriptive quantitative approach. Data were collected through questionnaire distributed to university students. The instrument consisted of twelve statements measuring key aspects of climate change attitudes, including concern, awareness, perceived impacts, institutional roles, and individual responsibility. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

The results indicate that students generally exhibit high levels of concern and positive attitudes toward climate change. The highest mean scores are found for awareness of climate change seriousness and concern about extreme weather events, reflecting strong consensus among respondents. Students also demonstrate strong interest in learning about climate change and carbon reduction.

However, greater variability appears in items related to the human causes of climate change, environmental policy priorities, and the perceived effectiveness of individual actions. These findings suggest that while concern and awareness are high, differences remain in understanding and confidence regarding responsibility and action. Overall, the study highlights the importance of strengthening climate education to improve understanding of climate change causes and to encourage meaningful engagement among university students.