Understanding Social Sciences Students’ Perceptions of Environment and Nature: Implications for Critical Thinking, Reimagine Socioecological Futures and Enriching Intercultural Dialogues

We are pleased to announce the publication of the chapter “Understanding Social Sciences Students’ Perceptions of Environment and Nature: Implications for Critical Thinking, Reimagine Socioecological Futures and Enriching Intercultural Dialogues”, authored by Fátima Alves, Diogo Guedes Vidal, Vitória Lourenço, and Vanda Viegas from the Societies and Environmental Sustainability Research Group at the Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People & the Planet, Terra Associated Laboratory of the University of Coimbra and its Extension at the Universidade Aberta de Portugal.

This study presents the results of a survey applied to students in the “Environment, Health and Wellbeing” module, part of the Social Sciences undergraduate degree at Universidade Aberta de Portugal. The survey aimed to understand students' perceptions of the environment and nature as shaped by their specific sociocultural contexts.

Key Findings:

The survey, which was applied to 308 students, received 92 responses (29.9%), with the majority being female (79.8%), an average age of 44, and predominantly employed. The analysis revealed that:

• Students are concerned about environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
• They believe these issues should be addressed through policies and regulations.
• They can envision socioecological futures, exploring pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic perspectives.

These results underscore the importance of diversity in socioecological education and the need for educational strategies that promote critical thinking, foster innovation, and empower students to become agents of change in addressing global socio-environmental challenges.

This chapter was presented at the Transatlantic Symposium on Sustainable Development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in October 2023 and is now available for reading at Springer Nature