INVESTIGATING THE PERCEPTION OF CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE STUDENTS REGARDING THE URGENCY FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION: A CASE STUDY IN TEXAS

Abstract

The Construction Industry impacts the environment worldwide and will affect the future of following generations. A complex network of stakeholders ranging from government agencies to investors, designers, contractors and suppliers deals with decision-making processes that impact each other’s interests and the environment simultaneously. Altogether, their actions can either alleviate or worsen climate change. It is therefore important to assess the level of awareness of students in programs related to the Construction Industry regarding sustainability, climate change and the power of the industry of which they will soon become part. Could absence of risk perception be the key factor causing personal detachment from these topics? This study anonymously surveyed 193 graduate and undergraduate students from the Department of Construction Science at Texas A&M University, one of the largest student bodies in this field in the United States. Several common misconceptions concerning the definition, causes and potential effects of climate change were identified among their responses. The project’s criteria classified 26% of all respondents as ‘informed’ of climate change, revealing an overall need for enhancement in formal education towards sustainable construction and environmental sustainability in the program’s structure.