Fostering sustainability in China's textile industry.

The role of education for sustainable development

Abstract

As China's textile industry grapples with sustainability issues, education plays an increasingly important role in promoting sustainable practices. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) syllabus on the sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of a cohort of 60 students studying textile and clothing. By employing a quasi-experimental methodology, surveys were administered to students both before and after the implementation of an ESD curriculum, with the aim of monitoring alterations in their sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. The curriculum for ESD was customised to cater to the requirements of the textile industry, encompassing both theoretical knowledge and practical implementation. The study utilised various statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression to analyse the data.

The study reveals a significant enhancement in students' sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors post-ESD curriculum. A strong correlation was established between sustainability knowledge and attitudes, and between knowledge and behaviors. Further, multiple regression analysis demonstrated that both knowledge and attitudes significantly contribute to predicting sustainability behavior. The research concludes that tailored ESD curriculums can effectively boost sustainability knowledge, engender positive attitudes, and inspire sustainable behaviors among textile and clothing students. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of education in driving sustainable transitions in the industry, providing useful insights for future ESD curriculum design.

KEYWORDS: Sustainability; Textile Industry; Education; Development