Variation in Awareness Levels of Climate Change and Its Environmental Impacts: An Applied Study on Students at Al-Zawiya University

Abstract

The study problem lies in determining the level of awareness of climate change and its environmental impacts among the students of Zawia University, and how their awareness varies according to different majors and gender. The hypothesis was based on the premise that this variation appears through differences in quality and specialization. A questionnaire consisting of 300 forms was designed and prepared to represent a diverse sample of male and female students from various faculties (humanities, engineering, and medical) at Zawia University. It was presented to three referees from the faculty members of the Geography Department. After considering all comments, the questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of students, and the samples were collected for classification, analysis, and interpretation using the statistical program SPSS v27, the chi-square test, and one-way ANOVA. The study results indicated a low level of awareness of climate change at 63.5%, while the awareness of the environmental impacts of climate change was high at 88.6% among Zawia University students. It also found no statistically significant differences in awareness levels related to gender and specialization, with an average mean ranging between 5.6 and 5.8. The study recommended the necessity of including specialized workshops on climate change and its local, regional, and global impacts in the curricula, and enhancing research activities and events to raise awareness and activate the university's role in promoting environmental awareness.