Assessing Sustainable Development Goal Competencies: Development and Initial Scale Validation of the SDG Competency Scale for Higher Education

ABSTRACT The integration of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) into higher education highlighted the importance of measuring and assessing students' SDG competencies. This study presents the development and initial validation of a 24‐item SDG Competency Scale (SDG‐CS) grounded on UNESCO's eight cross‐cutting competencies framework. The scale measures competencies across cognitive, socio‐emotional, and behavioral domains, often referred to as head, heart, and hand competency domains, respectively. Using data from 316 university students in Hong Kong, we examined the scale's reliability, internal factor structure, and external validity. The eight‐factor structure of the scale demonstrated adequate model fit, excellent reliability (Cronbach α = 0.93), and was positively correlated with students' consideration of future consequences. Results support the scale's psychometric properties and practical utility for measuring sustainability competencies in higher education. The SDG‐CS addresses an existing gap in SDG competency assessment and provides an evidence‐based self‐report tool for evaluating the effectiveness of SDG initiatives within higher education.