Educating for Ecological Transition in Higher Education: Insights from the TEDS Teaching Module

Engaging students in sustainability challenges is often easier in theory than in practice. This study examines first-year French undergraduates’ patterns of engagement with the TEDS module (Transition Ecologique pour un Développement Soutenable), a nationwide programme developed in France to promote ecological transition and sustainable development. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising 24 closed- and open-ended questions exploring students’ self-reported familiarity with, understanding of, concern about, and self-reported intentions to engage in sustainability-related actions, as well as perceived learning needs and background characteristics. Only 18 questions (143 items) were included in the present analysis, covering all dimensions except those related to the evaluation of the training programme. Results indicate that environmental concern is the factor most strongly associated with self-reported engagement intention, despite persistent gaps in conceptual understanding, particularly regarding the Anthropocene and alternative socio-economic models. Knowledge score and concern are structured hierarchically according to issue visibility, with climate change ranking highest. Engagement depends not only on concern but also on perceived opportunities for action, yet students struggle to identify concrete pathways. The absence of significant differences across gender and disciplines points to a strong generational convergence that reshapes the determinants of environmental engagement. Overall, the key challenge for sustainability education is linking systemic knowledge to concrete contexts of learning and everyday life.