Environmental Awareness and Educational Motivation in Choosing Environmental Engineering as a University Major

Abstract

Growing environmental challenges and the transition toward a sustainable economy have increased the importance of Environmental Engineering as a strategic academic discipline. Although previous studies have separately examined environmental awareness and educational motivation, limited attention has been given to how these constructs interact in shaping students' decisions to choose Environmental Engineering as a university major. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize current evidence on the relationship between environmental awareness and educational motivation in students' academic decision-making. This study employed a qualitative library research design using a narrative review approach. Data were collected from 32 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2022 and 2026 and retrieved through Google Scholar based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected literature was analyzed using narrative synthesis through thematic categorization, comparative analysis, and conceptual integration. The findings indicate that environmental awareness serves as the primary intrinsic foundation influencing students' educational choices, while educational motivation reinforces these decisions through both intrinsic interests and extrinsic career expectations. Furthermore, Education for Sustainable Development strengthens the interaction between these constructs by fostering sustainability competencies and professional identity. This review contributes to the literature by integrating environmental awareness and educational motivation into a unified conceptual framework for understanding students' decisions to pursue Environmental Engineering. The findings also provide practical recommendations for universities and policymakers to strengthen sustainability-oriented recruitment strategies and curriculum development to support future environmental professionals.