Measuring Student Sustainability Literacy
Institutional commitment and scope
An-Najah National University systematically measures the sustainability literacy of its students as an institution-wide, recurring process. The University uses complementary assessment instruments to evaluate students’ knowledge and awareness of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability, individual responsibility, and the application of sustainability principles to real-life and campus situations. Measurement is embedded in the student learning journey, supported by digital assessment platforms, documented through annual analysis reports, and used to guide continuous improvement.
This approach demonstrates more than the availability of sustainability education. It provides direct, documented evidence that ANNU measures student sustainability literacy, analyzes outcomes across student groups and academic disciplines, identifies knowledge gaps, and connects findings to curriculum development, training, orientation, and co-curricular engagement.
University-wide sustainability literacy measurement system
ANNU applies two complementary measurement routes so that institutional monitoring captures both broad student awareness and controlled knowledge performance:
|
Assessment route |
Purpose and coverage |
Delivery |
Institutional value |
|---|---|---|---|
|
University-wide literacy survey |
Measures awareness and understanding across general sustainability, the three sustainability dimensions, the SDGs, personal responsibility, and sustainable actions. |
Institutional student survey in Arabic and English. |
Provides broad coverage and permits analysis by study level, faculty, and other student characteristics. |
|
SDG knowledge assessment |
Measures knowledge of all 17 SDGs through an internally developed question bank, including objectives, targets, indicators, institutional roles, and individual action. |
Moodle-based assessment with controlled settings and a dynamic question bank. |
Establishes comparable knowledge results, identifies SDG-specific gaps, and supports targeted interventions. |
|
Pre- and post-learning assessment |
Compares knowledge before and after students access sustainability learning content. |
Integrated into the Community Service and Sustainability course and linked learning pathway. |
Measures learning progression and the effectiveness of instructional content rather than relying only on self-reported awareness. |
|
Periodic sampling and annual reporting |
Tracks patterns across cohorts, faculties, disciplines, and academic levels. |
Recurring assessment, analysis, and documented reporting. |
Supports longitudinal monitoring, quality assurance, and evidence-based improvement. |
Student evaluation method
The student Sustainability Literacy Test was developed under the oversight of ANNU’s Sustainability Steering Committee. It covers the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability and all 17 SDGs. The digital question bank contains 170 multiple-choice questions, with 10 questions associated with each SDG. Items address SDG definitions and objectives, key targets and indicators, global and local challenges, underlying causes, institutional and governmental responsibilities, and actions individuals can take.
The assessment is delivered through Moodle. A dynamic question bank supports variation between student attempts, and controlled administration settings strengthen the consistency of measurement. In the Community Service and Sustainability course (11000109), students complete an assessment before accessing designated instructional sustainability content and are assessed again after learning. This pre- and post-test structure enables ANNU to measure knowledge development and evaluate the contribution of the learning intervention. Periodic sample-based assessments supplement the course-based process and extend monitoring across the wider student body.
The instruments and learning resources are available in Arabic and English to support accessibility. Assessment data are handled responsibly, with attention to confidentiality, appropriate participation, and use of results for institutional learning and improvement.
Integration with the SDG Training Academy
The SDG Training Academy strengthens the measurement cycle by connecting assessment to an open, structured learning environment. The Academy provides expert-led sustainability education, online courses, events, workshops, and practical learning opportunities for students and staff. Its Sustainability Knowledge Test page explains the University’s assessment framework and links directly to the student test, bilingual survey instruments, learning video, staff assessment, and annual assessment reports.
The Academy therefore supports a continuous improvement sequence: students are assessed, results reveal strengths and gaps, suitable training or learning resources are provided, and subsequent assessment is used to monitor progress. This creates a clear link between measurement and action. The Academy currently presents 26 free online courses and reports 1,745 student and staff training participants and more than 14,000 annual training hours, demonstrating the institutional infrastructure available to respond to assessment findings.
Documented results and evidence of implementation
ANNU publishes analysis reports that demonstrate implementation of the measurement system and the use of disaggregated results. The 2025/2026 Sustainability Literacy Assessment Questionnaire analysis covered the University’s student population and reported an overall knowledge and awareness level of approximately 88%. It compared undergraduate and postgraduate students, reported results by faculty, and analyzed performance across general sustainability understanding, environmental, social, and economic dimensions, SDG knowledge, and individual responsibility and sustainable actions.
The subsequent Sustainability Literacy Assessment report documents a more controlled knowledge-test application. It reports participation by 842 students across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels and 216 academic and administrative staff. The average student knowledge-test score was 66.1%. Results were analyzed by sustainability pillar, individual SDG, faculty grouping, and academic level. Stronger performance was observed in environmental literacy and in SDGs 3, 4, 7, and 13, while gaps were identified in SDGs 14, 15, 16, and 17. The analysis also showed an upward pattern in literacy across academic progression.
These two result sets should be interpreted as complementary rather than directly comparable: the university-wide questionnaire measures broad knowledge and awareness, whereas the controlled knowledge test uses a defined SDG question bank and assessment conditions. Together, they give ANNU both wide institutional coverage and a more rigorous diagnostic measure of knowledge performance.
Analysis and use of results
Assessment results are reviewed to establish institutional baselines, compare student groups, identify areas of strength, and locate gaps requiring focused action. Findings support:
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integration of SDG content into university requirements and relevant academic courses;
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targeted learning materials and case studies for lower-performing SDGs, particularly governance, partnerships, biodiversity, and marine ecosystems;
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orientation, workshops, seminars, awareness campaigns, volunteer projects, and student-led initiatives;
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development and prioritization of SDG Training Academy courses and workshops;
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faculty-level and discipline-level interventions where analysis identifies uneven literacy;
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quality assurance, institutional sustainability planning, and monitoring of learning outcomes; and
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repeat measurement and longitudinal comparison to assess improvement over time.
Through this feedback loop, ANNU uses literacy measurement as a management and educational tool: evidence from assessment informs action, and future assessments evaluate whether those actions improve student understanding and readiness to contribute to sustainable development.
Supporting evidence and public links
• Sustainability Knowledge Test and assessment framework
• Sustainability Training Courses
• Sustainability Literacy Assessment Report 2025
• Sustainability Literacy Assessment Questionnaire 2024/2025 Analysis Report
• Sustainability Literacy Survey for ANNU Students English Version
• Sustainability Literacy Survey for ANNU Students Arabic Version