Religious Values and Environmental Sustainability Behaviour Among Students of Federal University of Education, Pankshin

Environmental sustainability has become a global priority as increasing environmental degradation, climate change, pollution, and depletion of natural resources continue to threaten sustainable development. Although environmental education has improved awareness, translating environmental knowledge into responsible behaviour remains a major challenge, highlighting the need to examine the influence of value-based factors such as religion. This study examined the relationship between religious values and environmental sustainability behaviour among students of the Federal University of Education, Pankshin. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of environmental stewardship values, moral responsibility derived from religious values, and religious teachings on environmental conservation on students' environmental sustainability behaviour. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised students of Federal University of Education, Pankshin, and a sample of 200 respondents were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire validated by experts, with a Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.84. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while Simple Linear Regression Analysis and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that environmental stewardship values (β = 0.682, p < 0.05), moral responsibility derived from religious values (r = 0.641, p < 0.05), and religious teachings on environmental conservation (β = 0.731, p < 0.05) significantly influenced students' environmental sustainability behaviour. The study concluded that religious values are significant determinants of environmental sustainability behaviour among students, although a gap exists between environmental values and active participation in environmental conservation activities. The study recommended stronger collaboration among universities, religious institutions, and environmental agencies to promote value-based environmental education and increase students' participation in practical environmental conservation programmes.