Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Towards Sustainable Development Goals among Youths of Biratnagar, Nepal

Abstract

This study investigates the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices regarding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among the youth of Biratnagar, Nepal, focusing on the critical value-action gap in sustainable development. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, primary data was collected from a sample of 230 young adults using a convenience sampling technique. A structured questionnaire evaluated the predictive impact of three independent variables SDG Knowledge, SDG Attitudes, and Curriculum Integration on daily Sustainable Practices.  Descriptive results revealed a moderate baseline for both knowledge and attitudes, contrasted by a significantly lower execution of actual sustainable habits in daily life. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that the overall model holds strong explanatory power, accounting for more than half of the variance in sustainable behaviors. Specifically, SDG Knowledge emerged as the most robust predictor of behavior, followed closely by academic Curriculum Integration and personal SDG Attitudes, fully supporting all direct research hypotheses. These findings highlight that cognitive awareness alone is insufficient to induce actual behavioral shifts. To effectively bridge this gap, higher education institutions and regional policymakers must transition from passive theoretical instruction to experiential, project-based curriculum integration to cultivate active ecological citizenship among the youth.