From learning value to sustainable action: motivational pathways in the context of higher education and organisational ethics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2026.25548Abstract
This study investigates how students’ perceptions of the value and meaning of learning translate into sustainable and prosocial behavior through competence/autonomy and moral orientation. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 417 university students, and mean composite scores were computed for all variables (a pragmatic approach given the survey design; latent measurement modeling was beyond the scope of the present analysis). A serial mediation model (PROCESS-type, Model 6) with standardized variables and 1,000 bootstrap resamples was estimated, controlling for religiosity/spirituality, course delivery mode, and volunteering hours. Learning value strongly predicted competence/autonomy (β = .71, R² = .51), which subsequently predicted moral orientation (β = .49). In the final model, competence/autonomy remained a significant predictor of sustainable behavior (β = .28, p < .001; model R² = .18), whereas moral orientation was not statistically significant (β = .08, p = .247). The indirect effect of learning value on sustainable behavior via competence/autonomy was substantial (β = .20), while the serial pathway through both mediators was small and non-significant. Most of the total effect of learning value (β = .36) was indirect. Although the cross-sectional and single-country design limits causal inference and generalizability, the findings highlight competence-building and autonomy-supportive learning designs as key mechanisms for transforming meaningful learning into sustainable and ethics-aligned actions.
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learning value, competence and autonomy, sustainable behavior, education for sustainability, organizational ethicsHow to Cite
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