Integrating the circular economy model into environmental education: the pathway to developing sustainable behavior among university students in Vietnam

Purpose This study aims to assess the impact of integrating the circular economy model into environmental education on university students' awareness and sustainable behavior in Vietnam, contributing to educational orientation toward green development goals. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative method was employed with a cross-sectional research design. Data were collected from 778 students across seven universities in the North, Central and South regions of Vietnam. The questionnaire used a five-point Likert scale and was analyzed using SPSS through reliability testing, factor analysis and multiple linear regressions to determine the relationships among environmental education, circular economy awareness and sustainable behavior. Findings The results indicate that all three factors have positive and statistically significant effects on sustainable behavior (R2 = 0.465, p < 0.001). Among them, initial sustainable behavior has the strongest influence (ß = 0.385), followed by environmental education (ß = 0.235) and circular economy awareness (ß = 0.222). Integrating the circular economy into teaching enables students to transform knowledge into practical actions such as energy saving, recycling and green consumption. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted within the context of Vietnam and may not fully generalize to other educational or cultural settings. Future research could apply the model in diverse geographic and institutional contexts. Practical implications The study offers practical and policy recommendations for universities and educational policymakers to enhance environmental curricula. These include integrating circular economy principles into existing environmental education to foster more effective and sustainable learning outcomes. Originality/value This research contributes by clarifying the relationship between environmental education, circular economy awareness and integrated sustainable behavior among students in the context of Vietnamese higher education, based on large-scale, multi-regional empirical data. The study is one of the first in Vietnam to develop a model of integrated environmental education and circular economy in shaping sustainable behavior and propose policy implications for sustainable higher education. Furthermore, these proposals are fully applicable internationally.