What Influences the Environmental Actions of College Students in Mainland China; Environmental Literacy as an Analytical Framework

Environmental literacy has become a widely recognized index for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental education and represents a global consensus on educational values.Understanding the level of environmental literacy and the factors influencing environmental action remain central concerns in environmental education research.This study examines the environmental literacy of college students in mainland China using an analytical framework composed of three variable groups: environmental knowledge, environmental awareness, and environmental skills.A questionnaire survey was conducted among students in Shanghai Municipality, Anhui Province, and Guangxi Province, covering three academic disciplines across regions with differing levels of economic development.A total of 1,890 valid responses were analyzed.Descriptive statistical methods and hierarchical regression analysis yielded the following findings:1. Chinese college students demonstrate relatively low levels of environmental action.They primarily engage in ecologically civilized behavior but show limited participation in civic actions that benefit broader society.Persuasion-induced behavior is present but inconsistent.2. The overall level of environmental literacy among these students is moderate.Of the three variable groups, awareness is the strongest dimension, while knowledge and skills remain weaker.3. When applied synchronously, the three environmental literacy variables explain up to 44.8% of variance in environmental action.Among them, environmental desire, behavioral intention, and civic participation skills emerge as the most significant predictors of environmental action.These findings provide important insights for improving environmental education in Chinese higher education institutions.Recommendations emphasize strengthening civic participation skills and fostering environmental 55 -www.imcra.