Awareness, Beliefs, and Pro‐Environmental Behavior Related to Climate Change Among High‐School Students: A Study in the Context of
SDG
‐13
Ahmad Basheer, Ozcan Gulacar, Naji Kortam, Firas Hiadre ABSTRACT
Aligned with United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG‐13: Climate Action), this study examined levels of climate change awareness, beliefs, and pro‐environmental behavior among high school students in Israel. The sample consisted of 360 students, including 139 Environmental Science (ES) majors and 221 students from other science disciplines. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, MANOVA, hierarchical regression, mediation analysis, and Pearson correlations. Results indicated moderate awareness of climate change across majors, however no significant differences in knowledge, beliefs, or behavior were found between ES and other majors. Students' beliefs in their ability to mitigate climate change were generally strong and served as the primary predictor of pro‐environmental behavior. In contrast, awareness exerted a positive, but weaker, influence. Gender differences were significant, with females scoring higher across all dimensions. Correlation analysis further revealed a strong positive relationship between beliefs and behavior as well as a moderate association between awareness and behavior. These findings suggest that affective and motivational factors, particularly students' sense of efficacy, appear to play a central role in translating knowledge into sustainable action. The study suggests that strengthening the belief–action link in climate education may be a productive focus for future research and curriculum development.