Environmental and sustainability education (ESE) has traditionally focused on evaluating attitudes and behaviors in individuals. However, it does not always evaluate action competence for sustainability, which is the underlying ability of individuals to act sustainably. This study sought to further the feasibility of evaluating action competence by providing a novel method to measure outcomes of action competence in ESE. The researchers developed a theoretical questionnaire for investigating action competence for sustainability called the Self-Perceived Action Competence for Sustainability Questionnaire (SPACS-Q). In this study, they evaluated the reliability and validity of SPACS-Q and compared it to other established measurement instruments in the ESE research field.
The SPACS-Q measures students' development of Self-Perceived Action Competence for Sustainability (SPACS). An individual's SPACS consists of three elements: knowledge of action possibilities (KAP), confidence in one's own influence (COI), and willingness to act (WTA). Knowledge of action possibilities involves strengthening an individual's competency to build knowledge and then use that knowledge in action. Confidence in one's influence revolves around self-efficacy, or feeling empowered and able to handle complex sustainability issues. Willingness to act describes the need for engaging in meaningful actions.
The SPACS-Q consisted of twelve items, four items for each of the three elements of SPACS (KAP, COI, and WTA). The response options were 'strongly disagree', 'disagree' 'agree nor disagree' 'agree' and 'strongly agree'. Experts in ESE were consulted on the instrument's validity to ensure it covered all dimensions of action competence for sustainability. The researchers also conducted a common analysis to validate the scales used in SPAC-Q. The analysis validated how well data fit the theoretical model of SPACS-Q and tested the reliability of the instrument's subscales. The analysis also examined SPACS-Q correlation with another related instrument, sustainability consciousness questionnaire (SCQ-S). The SCQ-S focuses on sustainability consciousness (SC) which broadly measures ESE outcomes through knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. To test the validity and reliability of the new instrument, the SPACS-Q was tested at one school in Sweden to measure students' development of SPACS during an ESE project. A total of 614 students from the school, aged 13-19, completed the SPACS-Q. Students in the study also completed the sustainability consciousness questionnaire (SCQ-S) to which the researchers compared results of SPACS-Q to see if the questionnaires measured similar outcomes.
The researchers found that the SPACS-Q was a reliable and valid instrument for measuring action competence. The SPACS-Q accurately encapsulated the theory of SPACS and also successfully measured it. In the analysis, it was found that each element of the SPACS-Q, KAP, COI, and WTA, was very effective in measuring what it intended to measure.
The results of this study confirmed that the SC-Q and the SPACS-Q are comparable, but do not measure the exact same concepts. The SPACS-Q looked directly at action competence for sustainability through the three elements, KAP, COI, and WTA. The SCQ-S, alternatively, measured sustainability outcomes through knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The researchers concluded that SPACS-Q fills the gap in ESE research regarding action competences, as most instruments focus on measuring just behavior.
There are limitations to this study. The SPACS-Q was tested on only a single group of students in Sweden and may not perform well in other countries or groups of students. The researchers also relayed that the SPACS-Q may not work with students younger than thirteen.
The SPACS-Q measures one's capacity to act in a sustainable way before the action happens. The researchers believe that the SPACS-Q instrument could be useful in a variety of contexts, including monitoring SPACS development in organizations or the impact of policies on citizens developing SPACS. The researchers recommend that other researchers use the SPACS-Q to measure students' SPACS. They also suggest that the SPACS-Q can be used for investigating the effects of environmental education interventions on students.
The Bottom Line
<p>Environmental and sustainability education (ESE) has often neglected to evaluate action competence for sustainability, or the underlying ability of individuals to act sustainably. In this study, researchers developed a questionnaire for measuring individuals Self-Perceived Action Competence for Sustainability (SPACS). They evaluated the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, called SPACS-Q. To validate SPACS-Q as an efficacious tool, it was delivered to students in one school Sweden to measure their SPACS. The researchers found through their validation process that the SPACS-Q was a reliable and valid instrument for measuring action competence. The researchers recommend that other researchers use the SPACS-Q for examining self-perceived action competence for sustainability and environmental education interventions.</p>
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