Embedding Sustainability Concepts in an Introductory Civil Engineering Technology Course

10 pages•Published: June 2, 2026

Oluwatobiloba Olanipekun, Yewande Abraham, Lucio Salles, Sagata Bhawani and Lisa Greenwood

Abstract

Incorporating sustainability concepts early and progressively in the civil engineering undergraduate curriculum is crucial to preparing students for the complex infrastructure challenges the modern construction industry faces. Early sustainability-focused interventions in the curriculum can facilitate the dissemination of more advanced sustainability concepts in later courses, thereby improving overall student outcomes. This study investigates the impact of sustainability-focused interventions on students’ familiarity, confidence, and intention to apply sustainability principles in practice in a first-year civil engineering technology course at a private higher education institution. Guided by the Engineering for One Planet Framework, the course integrated sustainability concepts into course content, activities, and assessments. Pre- and post-course survey responses were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess changes in selected variables following the intervention. Among the variables analyzed, students showed the greatest overall improvement in understanding the economic sustainability dimension. There was a 16% improvement in students’ confidence in applying sustainability in practice, although their perceived likelihood of future application remained steady. This study contributes to the development of evidence-based strategies to introduce sustainability into civil engineering courses, thereby preparing a future workforce capable of delivering sustainable solutions in the built environment.

Keyphrases: civil engineering, engineering education, engineering for one planet, sustainability focused curriculum, sustainability integration

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference, vol 7, pages 294-303.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/wqM9
	https://doi.org/10.29007/bg7l

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2026:Embedding_Sustainability_Concepts_Introductory,
  author    = {Oluwatobiloba Olanipekun and Yewande Abraham and Lucio Salles and Sagata Bhawani and Lisa Greenwood},
  title     = {Embedding Sustainability Concepts in an Introductory Civil Engineering Technology Course},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {7},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/wqM9},
  doi       = {10.29007/bg7l},
  pages     = {294-303},
  year      = {2026}}

Download PDF Open PDF in browser