Built Environment Education Conference A Study of Student Perceptions and Awareness of Sustainability

In this paper we present the findings of an investigation into third year construction and property management students ’ perceptions and awareness of sustainability issues. The students were all enrolled in BUIL 1217 Research and Sustainability; a core third-year construction management course at RMIT University. In this course students learn about sustainability principles, with a focus on sustainable construction and green building design, using different research methods. They also visit innovative green building projects, undertake building audits, question experts in the field, and study their own impact on the environment using interactive web-based tools. This learning and teaching approach was adopted in order to facilitate greater understanding of the often complicated decision making that surrounds sustainability issues. Students were asked to complete a survey at the beginning and end of the semester during which they studied “Research and Sustainability”. The survey asked students to respond to a series of questions pertaining to sustainability. The intention was to gain an understanding of their perceptions and awareness of sustainability issues before and after the course and to explore if undertaking the course was associated with more informed and/or transformed perceptions and awareness of sustainability. Results show that some students found it easier to articulate their knowledge about and views on sustainability; by responding with increased complexity to the questions posed at the end of the course, and some shifted the focus of their responses to reflect the course content. Findings will be used to inform approaches to learning and teaching and further develop our knowledge of student perceptions of sustainability