A Study on the Differences in ESG Awareness Levels and Importance Among University Students Based on Demographic Characteristics and the Presence or Absence of ESG Education

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the differences in ESG awareness and importance among uni-versity students based on their demographic characteristics, as well as awareness and education regarding ESG. Methods The subjects of this study include 301 undergraduate students enrolled at a four-year university. Using SPSS 23.0, the characteristics of the study population were analyzed in terms of frequency (%), and the reliability coefficient, trend, and normality of the research variables were examined. Differences between groups were ana-lyzed by t-test and ANOVA, followed by Scheffé's post hoc test. Results The main research findings are as follows. First, there were no statistically significant differences in the levels of awareness and importance of ESG factors among groups of university students based on gender, age, and major. In terms of grade, the awareness levels for overall ESG perception, as well as for the E and G perception factors, were higher in the second year compared to the fourth year. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the perception level of S. Grade level showed statistically significant differences in both the im-portance of ESG and its subfactors, with juniors and seniors perceiving ESG as more important than freshmen. Second, the analysis of differences in ESG awareness levels and importance, based on whether university stu-dents are aware of ESG, revealed that across all factors, students who are aware of ESG showed higher levels compared to those who did not. Third, the analysis of differences in ESG awareness levels and importance based on whether university students received ESG education revealed that, across all factors, students who underwent ESG education showed higher levels compared to those who did not. Conclusions This study confirms the importance of ESG and education as perceived by university students. This article aims to propose approaches that focus on implementing ESG in universities.