Sustainability Literacy: Environmental and Educational Predictors of Knowledge
Overview
This project studied what predicts students’ sustainability literacy scores (SKS), with a focus on educational exposure vs. background environment.
Data
We combined Cal Poly survey responses with ZIP-code-linked census/environment variables.
Outcome: sustainability knowledge score.
Predictors: PM2.5, greenspace, fire frequency, ZIP-code area, neighborhood educational attainment, and year in college.
Sampling mixed classroom recruitment and voluntary responses, so results should not be treated as fully population-representative.
Methodology
I fit multiple linear regression models with year in college as a control:
- Environmental predictors model
- Educational background predictors model
Interaction terms were excluded to limit overfitting and keep interpretation clear.
Key Findings
Year in college was the strongest and most consistent positive predictor in both models.
In the environmental model, higher PM2.5 and larger ZIP-code area were associated with modestly lower SKS.
In the educational model, higher neighborhood college-degree attainment was associated with higher SKS.
Interpretation and Limitations
Results suggest institutional exposure (curriculum/time in college) may matter more than background environment alone. This is associative, not causal, and uncertainty remains due to self-selection and ZIP-code-level aggregation.
Tools
R (linear modeling, data visualization), census and environmental datasets.