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Prof. Paul Sudnik

Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany

As the Editor-in-Chief of IJSSH, I invite you to contribute your scholarly work to our esteemed publication. The journal publishes papers which focus on the advanced researches in the field of all aspects of social science and humanity. I'll endeavour to make this journal grow better and hopefully it will become a recognized journal among researchers and scholars in related fields.

Home > Archive > 2026 > Volume 16, Number 2, 2026
IJSSH 2026 Vol.16(2): 68-73
doi: 10.18178/ijssh.2026.16.2.1280

Encouraging Youth Action for SDGs by Enhancing Self-Efficacy: Insights from a Study Tour in Thailand

Junko Mimaki
Organization for International Collaboration, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan
Email: mimaki.junko@gmail.com

Manuscript received September 1, 2025; accepted November 21, 2025; published April 22, 2026.

Abstract— How can higher education effectively motivate young people to engage in environmental actions that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? A decade after the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, awareness of the SDGs has grown rapidly in Japan; however, translating this awareness into concrete action remains a challenge. According to a 2019 survey by the Nippon Foundation, the proportion of Japanese youth who believe they can influence society is significantly lower than in other countries, reflecting a comparatively low sense of self-efficacy. To address this issue, a Japanese university, in collaboration with a Thai partner institution, organized an intercultural study tour on food security in Thailand in 2024. The program was designed to enhance students’ self-efficacy through activities aligned with Bandura’s four sources: enactive mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal. Students engaged in joint learning with Thai peers and practitioners, deepening their understanding of sustainability and building cross-cultural partnerships. After returning to Japan, several students initiated environmental actions in cooperation with an organic farmer. Survey results and follow-up interviews revealed three key elements for promoting pro-environmental actions: (1) recognizing personal strengths and fostering psychologically safe learning communities, (2) engaging in experiential learning with role models from different cultural contexts, and (3) establishing post-program connections with local practitioners who share a common future vision. This study contributes to the design of intercultural Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programs in higher education by clarifying mechanisms that enhance self-efficacy and sustain youth-led actions for sustainability.

Keywords— Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), youth engagement, self-efficacy, psychological safety, intercultural learning, higher education

Cite: Junko Mimaki, "Encouraging Youth Action for SDGs by Enhancing Self-Efficacy: Insights from a Study Tour in Thailand," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 68-73, 2026.


Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
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