Attitudes, Sustainable Practices and the Influence of Social Media among Politeknik Muadzam Shah Students

Abstract

This study investigates the attitudes, sustainable practices, social media influence, and perceptions of green campaigns among 124 students at Politeknik Muadzam Shah. Driven by the recognition of students as key agents in promoting eco-friendly behaviors, a quantitative approach was adopted, employing a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to gather data from students across various programs and semesters. Descriptive analysis using SPSS was performed to determine mean scores, standard deviations, and frequency distributions. The results indicate that students possess a highly positive attitude toward environmental sustainability (M = 4.50) and maintain a high level of daily sustainable practices, particularly regarding reusing items, energy conservation, and the 3R principles (M = 4.23). Social media was confirmed as a significant medium for disseminating sustainability messages (M = 3.84). While students' perceptions of green campaigns were positive (M = 3.94), their actual involvement remained relatively low. A Pearson Product-Moment Correlations analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between a student’s attitude toward environmental sustainability and their sustainable practices (r = 0.659, p = 0.000), social media influence (r = 0.576, p = 0.000), and response to green campaigns (r = 0.672, p = 0.000). Furthermore, an independent t-test identified that female students were significantly more influenced by social media (M = 3.93) compared to male students (M = 3.72, p = 0.013). The study concludes that although polytechnic students have a high level of environmental awareness, more strategic, digitally driven, and community-based interventions are needed to translate positive attitudes into consistent, tangible actions.