SDG 17.4.4 Sustainability Literacy

NCUE examined 371 courses offered in the second semester of the 2024 academic year and the first semester of the 2025 academic year that were identified as strongly aligned with the SDGs. NCUE analyzed their SDG alignment, assessment methods, and learning outcomes to evaluate students' ability to acquire key sustainability concepts.

1. Course data: The dataset includes 371 courses and 11,189 student enrolments. Table 1 presents the alignment between course content and sustainability literacy across the SDGs.

17.4.4 - Table 1. Alignment between courses and sustainability literacy across the SDGs
No.	Sustainability literacy area	Courses	Percentage
1	SDG 1 No Poverty	114	31%
2	SDG 2 Zero Hunger	90	24%
3	SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being	217	58%
4	SDG 4 Quality Education	269	73%
5	SDG 5 Gender Equality	222	60%
6	SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation	93	25%
7	SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy	120	32%
8	SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth	214	58%
9	SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	145	39%
10	SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities	215	58%
11	SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities	171	46%
12	SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production	178	48%
13	SDG 13 Climate Action	139	37%
14	SDG 14 Life Below Water	114	31%
15	SDG 15 Life on Land	111	30%
16	SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	221	60%
17	SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals	176	47%
Average number of SDG literacy areas per course		7.57

2. Diverse assessment methods: Instructors may use several assessment methods within one course as teaching progresses. The 371 courses used methods such as class participation, examinations, written reports, practical exercises, and project presentations to assess learning outcomes. The specific proportions of each assessment method utilized across these courses are detailed in Table 2.

17.4.4 - Table 2. Assessment methods used in the courses
Assessment method	Courses using method
Pre-course assessment	2%
In-class quiz	6%
Midterm examination	35%
Final examination	39%
Class participation	66%
Written report	41%
Practical exercise	23%
Project presentation	23%
Student performance profile	4%
Case analysis report	6%

3. Learning outcomes (see Tables 3 and 4):

Instructor assessment: Based on each course's overall mean score, 93.3% of the courses had a mean above 80. The mean score across all students was 88.74 out of 100.

Student self-assessment: Students completed teaching-feedback questionnaires. The mean scores for 'This course helped improve my knowledge or professional competence' and 'Overall, I benefited substantially from this course' were 4.6 and 4.7, respectively, on a five-point scale. These results report students' perceptions of gains in knowledge, professional competence, and overall benefit from the courses.

17.4.4 - Table 3. Distribution of course mean scores
Course mean score	Courses	Percentage
0~70	2	0.5%
71~80	23	6.2%
81~90	172	46.4%
91~100	174	46.9%

17.4.4 - Table 4. Overall learning outcomes
	Result
Courses	371
Student enrolments	11,189
Mean student score from instructor assessments	88.74 / 100
Student self-assessment: improvement in knowledge or professional competence	4.6 / 5
Student self-assessment: overall benefit from the course	4.7 / 5