Psychosocial factors and pathways to sustainability consciousness in secondary education students: a combined approach using structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

The aim of this study was to identify the psychosocial factors that predict sustainability consciousness in secondary education students and to explore non-linear combinations of these factors that are sufficient for achieving it. Addressing the limitations of traditional linear models, this research integrates structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) with a sample of 2,289 students from the Basque Country (northern Spain). The study contributes to the field by providing a configurational account of sustainability consciousness, revealing multiple pathways to sustainability. Across all identified configurations, creative self-concept emerged as an essential factor, suggesting that students’ perceptions of their own creative abilities are central to developing both sustainability consciousness and related behaviors. These findings highlight the need to prioritize creativity as a core element of learning, while also promoting, when relevant, other competencies such as cooperation, critical thinking disposition, curiosity, and resilience. By identifying these diverse causal routes, this study offers a more nuanced framework for designing educational programs tailored to the complex nature of environmental and social commitment in adolescence.