EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN AND TAJIKISTAN: FINDINGS FROM A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

The article examines university students’ perceptions and experiences of environmental education in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan based on a pilot study. The relevance of the study is driven by global environmental challenges and the need to develop environmental culture among young people in the context of current sustainable development goals. It aimed to examine students’ understanding of environmental education, self-reported environmental practices, perceptions of its integration into university learning, and views on its development. An exploratory cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 37 students from two universities in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses. The results showed that 54.1% of respondents demonstrated a substantively accurate understanding of environmental education, while 37.8% provided a partial definition. Students’ environmental engagement was mainly expressed through everyday practices, including waste reduction, use of reusable items, and conservation of natural resources, whereas participation in organized environmental activities was less frequent. Most students assessed the integration of environmental education into academic courses as moderate. Open-ended responses revealed a demand for stronger practice-oriented and project-based learning, greater use of digital technologies, interdisciplinary approaches, extracurricular environmental engagement, and a more sustainable university environment. Overall, students demonstrated a general understanding of environmental education and engaged in certain environmental practices, while environmental engagement and perceptions of its integration into education remained heterogeneous. Students’ expectations highlight the importance of a more practice-oriented, project-based, digital, and interdisciplinary approach to environmental education.