Guiding undergraduates towards scientific research in major engineering projects: a pathway to sustainable development in civil engineering higher education

Purpose In sustainable engineering education research, sustainability competence has become an important dimension for evaluating the quality of engineering education. This study examines how civil engineering education advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 9 and SDG 11. Design/methodology/approach To embed sustainability principles in civil engineering curricula and construct sustainable educational pathways, this study develops a behavioural–cognitive framework based on the technology acceptance model for guiding civil engineering undergraduates towards researching major engineering projects. Based on 651 valid questionnaire responses, empirical analysis is performed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results indicate that the facilitating conditions (FC) → perceived ease of use (PEU) → subjective norm (SN) → behavioural intention (BI) → professional competence (PC) pathway showed the largest standardised indirect effect among the pathways examined in civil engineering education. This suggests that transforming abstract sustainability principles into operable and readily understandable engineering tasks is an important prerequisite for achieving sustainable engineering education. In contrast, the direct effect of perceived usefulness on attitude (AT) is not significant, indicating that students’ recognition of the practical value of sustainability-related knowledge does not automatically translate into stable value identification and positive AT. Originality/value To cultivate civil engineering professionals capable of addressing future sustainability challenges, this study empirically identifies and validates two distinct mechanisms of sustainable engagement within Chinese civil engineering education: AT-driven and socially driven pathways. Furthermore, this study reveals the role of the support–cognition–action mechanism in cultivating sustainability-oriented PC in civil engineering undergraduates. The findings of this study provide practical insights into reforming sustainable engineering education within major engineering projects and developing sustainable pathways in civil engineering higher education.