Sustainability Literacy in Families: A Review of the Literature on Values, Understanding, and Practices
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to examine sustainability literacy within families using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, focusing on three key dimensions: values, understanding, and sustainable practices. Following the PRISMA protocol, 23 scholarly articles published between 2016 and 2025 were analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that sustainability values—such as social responsibility, simplicity, and ecological justice—are transmitted intergenerationally through role modeling and family interactions. Sustainability understanding is shaped through discussion, communication, and shared learning experiences, which enhance critical awareness and reflective thinking on environmental issues. Sustainable practices in households manifest in energy management, conscious consumption, waste reduction, and green financial behavior. These three dimensions are interconnected and form an intergenerational cycle of sustainability education. This review highlights the strategic role of the family as an agent of transformation toward environmentally conscious societies. The findings also suggest future research opportunities related to family-based sustainability communication and time management within sustainable living practices.
Article Details
How to Cite
PRATIWI, Ismayanti; ADENI, Susri; HARAHAP, Machyudin Agung.
Sustainability Literacy in Families: A Review of the Literature on Values, Understanding, and Practices.
JURNAL PENDIDIKAN DAN KELUARGA, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 02, p. 12-29, dec. 2025.
ISSN 2549-9823.
Available at: <http://jpk.ppj.unp.ac.id/index.php/jpk/article/view/1397>. Date accessed: 21 mar. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.24036/jpk/vol17-iss02/1397.
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Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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References
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Filimonau, V., Sezerel, H., Ashton, M., Kubal-czerwi, M., Bhaskara, G. I., & Ermolaev, V. A. (2024). How chefs develop the practice to manage food waste in professional kitchens. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 119, 0278–4319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103712
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Halim, R. A., & Chuah, S.-C. (2023). Household Sustainable Consumption Intention. Information Management and Business Review, 15(3), 59–66.
Hosany, A. R. S., Hosany, S., & He, H. (2022). Children sustainable behaviour : A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 147(March), 236–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.008
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Jayakumar, T., Conti, E., & Colabro, A. (2021). The grand transition: family businesses leading the path towards a sustainable future. Family Business Sustainability Case Studies Across the World, 1–9.
Kurniadi, R., Sari, N., & Dwijayanti, N. S. (2025). Sustainable Financial Literacy : Lessons from Traditional Practices. Journal of Innovation in Educational and Cultural Research, 6(3), 529–537. https://doi.org/10.46843/jiecr.v6i3.2370
Leichenko, R. M., & O’Brien, K. L. (2024). Climate and society : transforming the future (2nd ed.). Polity. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Climate+and+Society%3A+Transforming+the+Future%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781509559299
Maison, L. M. (2023). “ We are peasants ”: Exploring Place , Identity and the Political Role of Educators With the Zapatistas of Mexico and Norwegian Early Childhood Educators. Nordic Early Chilhood Educational Research, 20(4), 187–206.
Mehammud, W. M. W., & Ahmad, N. J. (2024). Integrating Sustainability into Education and Management: A Systematic Review of Pratices Aligning with The Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of Contemporary Social Science and Education Studies, 4(3), 145–176. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14064567
Nguyen, H.-A. T., Osman, Z., Suhandoko, A. D. J., Serrano, J., & Intaratat, K. (2024). Social Environmental Factors Affecting Students’ Green Living Behaviour: A Cross Country Empirical Study at ASEAN. https://doi.org/Available at SSRN 5019607
Norkhaidi, S. B., Mahat, H., Hashim, M., Saleh, Y., & Nayan, N. (2019). Indexing environmental sustainability literacy knowledge among malaysian youth : confirmatory factor analysis approach ( cfa ) Indexing environmental sustainability literacy knowledge among malaysian youth : confirmatory factor analysis approach ( cfa ). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 683. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/683/1/012052
Olsson, D., & Gericke, N. (2016). The adolescent dip in students’ sustainability consciousness - Implications for education for sustainable development. Journal of Environmental Education, 47(1), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2015.1075464;WEBSITE:WEBSITE:TFOPB;PAGEGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION
Pfautsch, S., & Gray, T. (2017). Low factual understanding and high anxiety about climate warming impedes university students to become sustainability stewards An Australian case study. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18(7), 1157–1175. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2016-0179
Prayogo, G. A., Kodrat, D. S., & Wiryakusuma, I. G. B. Y. (2020). Faktor-Faktor yang Membentuk Bisnis Keluarga Bertumbuh Secara Berkelanjutan. PERFORMA, 4(2), 240–247. https://doi.org/10.37715/JP.V4I2.1523
Riecmann, M. (2018). Learning to transform the world: Key competencies in Education for Sustainable Development. In Issues and trends in education for sustainable development - Leicht, Alexander, Heiss, Julia, Won Jung Byun - Google Buku (1st ed., Vol. 39, pp. 39–59). UNESCO Publishing. https://books.google.co.id/books?hl=id&lr=&id=V7lQDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA39&dq=Learning+to+Transform+the+World:+Key+Competencies+in+Education+for+Sustainable+Development&ots=oY-kO_0zSu&sig=_RfySG_DVEhQYq7j1C8nq8JxycA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Learning to Transform the World%3A Key Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development&f=false
Ruggerio, C. A. (2021). Sustainability and sustainable development: A review of principles and definitions. Science of The Total Environment, 786, 147481. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2021.147481
Smaniotto, C., Saramin, A., & Brunelli, L. (2023). Insights and Next Challenges for the Italian Educational System to Teach Sustainability in a Global Context. Sustainability, 15(1), 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010209
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 104, 333-339.
Stankevičiūtė, Ž., & Jarmalavičiūtė, I. (2024). The perspectives of women on sustainable fashion consumption: Comparative study of university teachers and students Živilė. Plos One, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314532 February
Tsai, A. Y. J., & Tan, A. Y. K. (2022). Analysis of Undergraduates’ Environmentally Friendly Behavior: Case Study of Tzu Chi University Environmental Education Program. Energies, 15(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134853
United Nation. (2022). Raising awareness and assessing sustainability literacy on SDG 7 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdinaction/hesi/literacy
Verachtert, S. (2023). Family congruence in sustainability attitudes and behaviour; an analysis of a household survey in Belgium. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(11), 12467-12493.
Wamsler, C. (2020). Education for sustainability: Fostering a more conscious society and transformation towards sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(1), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2019-0152/FULL/PDF
Walker, C. (2017). Tomorrow's leaders and today's agents of change? Children, sustainability education and environmental governance. Children & Society, 31(1), 72-83.
Adewumni, M. C. (2025). Parents as Catalysts for Structural Transformation Toward Inclusive and Sustainable Development. International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation, 12(23), 42–64. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14774924
Aikens, K., McKenzie, M., & Vaughter, P. (2016). Environmental and sustainability education policy research: a systematic review of methodological and thematic trends. Environmental Education Research, 22(3), 333–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2015.1135418
Alcaraz, M. S., Chuc, F. C., & Valencia, R. S. (2023). Environmental and Climate Culture for Sustainability : Experiences from Engineering Undergraduate Programs. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 12(4), 399–416. https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2023.v12n4p399
Azul, A. M., & Reis, C. S. (2018). Climate Change : Doing Little Can Change a Lot ! Children ’ s Knowledge-Action About Cimate Principles and Effects. Handbook of Climate Change Communication: Vol. 1: Theory of Climate Change Communication, 1, 341–365.
Barth, M., & Riecmann, M. (2016). State of the Art in Research on Higher Education for Sustainable Development. In Routledge Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development (p. 11113). Routledge. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283572415_State_of_the_Art_in_Research_on_Higher_Education_for_Sustainable_Development
Corazza, L., Cottafava, D., & Torchia, D. (2022). Education for sustainable development : a critical reflexive discourse on a transformative learning activity for business students. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02335-1
D’Amico, L. (2016). Cultivating Sustainability Literacy and Public Engagement in Intag , Ecuador Linda D ’ Amico. Anthropology in Action, 2(2), 4–12. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2016.230202
Das, K., & Singh, D. A. (2025). Empowering Future Generations: Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development in India-Challenges, Opportunities, and Way Forward. Journal of East-West Thought, 15(2), 20–30. https://doi.org/ISSN: 2168-2259
Evans, G. W., Otto, S., & Kaiser, F. G. (2018). Childhood Origins of Young Adult Environmental Behavior. Psychological Science, 29(5), 679–687. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617741894,
Filimonau, V., Sezerel, H., Ashton, M., Kubal-czerwi, M., Bhaskara, G. I., & Ermolaev, V. A. (2024). How chefs develop the practice to manage food waste in professional kitchens. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 119, 0278–4319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103712
Gedvilaite, D., Gudaitis, T., Lapinskiene, G., Zizys, J., & Podviezko, A. (2022). Sustainability Literacy and Financial Literacy of Young People in the Baltic States. Sustainability, 14(21), 14013. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114013
Hakam, L. I., Hakam, D. F., Rahadi, R. A., & Wiryono, S. W. (2024). The Impact of Sustainability Literacy, Social Support, and Attitudes Towards Innovation on Sustainable Energy Consumption Among Indonesian Youth. In Social Support, and Attitudes Towards Innovation on Sustainable Energy Consumption Among Indonesian Youth. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4976172
Halim, R. A., & Chuah, S.-C. (2023). Household Sustainable Consumption Intention. Information Management and Business Review, 15(3), 59–66.
Hosany, A. R. S., Hosany, S., & He, H. (2022). Children sustainable behaviour : A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 147(March), 236–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.04.008
Huang, Z., Jing, Z., Bai, Y., & Fang, Z. (2022). Does Public Environmental Education and Advocacy Reinforce Conservation Behavior Value in Rural Southwest China ? Sustainability, 14(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095505
Idialu E.E, I. E. . (2020). Promotion of Responsible Consumption for Family Survival : Role of Home Economics. Journal of Home Economics Research, 27(2), 113–120.
Idris, A., Agus, E., & Suwarsono, B. (2025). Financial Literacy and Financial Sustainability for Future Research Agendas : A Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of Business and Finance, 59(1), 46–59. https://doi.org/10.2478/WSBJBF-2025-0004
IPCC, I. P. on C. C. (2023). Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Working Group II Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844
Jayakumar, T., Conti, E., & Colabro, A. (2021). The grand transition: family businesses leading the path towards a sustainable future. Family Business Sustainability Case Studies Across the World, 1–9.
Kurniadi, R., Sari, N., & Dwijayanti, N. S. (2025). Sustainable Financial Literacy : Lessons from Traditional Practices. Journal of Innovation in Educational and Cultural Research, 6(3), 529–537. https://doi.org/10.46843/jiecr.v6i3.2370
Leichenko, R. M., & O’Brien, K. L. (2024). Climate and society : transforming the future (2nd ed.). Polity. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Climate+and+Society%3A+Transforming+the+Future%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781509559299
Maison, L. M. (2023). “ We are peasants ”: Exploring Place , Identity and the Political Role of Educators With the Zapatistas of Mexico and Norwegian Early Childhood Educators. Nordic Early Chilhood Educational Research, 20(4), 187–206.
Mehammud, W. M. W., & Ahmad, N. J. (2024). Integrating Sustainability into Education and Management: A Systematic Review of Pratices Aligning with The Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of Contemporary Social Science and Education Studies, 4(3), 145–176. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14064567
Nguyen, H.-A. T., Osman, Z., Suhandoko, A. D. J., Serrano, J., & Intaratat, K. (2024). Social Environmental Factors Affecting Students’ Green Living Behaviour: A Cross Country Empirical Study at ASEAN. https://doi.org/Available at SSRN 5019607
Norkhaidi, S. B., Mahat, H., Hashim, M., Saleh, Y., & Nayan, N. (2019). Indexing environmental sustainability literacy knowledge among malaysian youth : confirmatory factor analysis approach ( cfa ) Indexing environmental sustainability literacy knowledge among malaysian youth : confirmatory factor analysis approach ( cfa ). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 683. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/683/1/012052
Olsson, D., & Gericke, N. (2016). The adolescent dip in students’ sustainability consciousness - Implications for education for sustainable development. Journal of Environmental Education, 47(1), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2015.1075464;WEBSITE:WEBSITE:TFOPB;PAGEGROUP:STRING:PUBLICATION
Pfautsch, S., & Gray, T. (2017). Low factual understanding and high anxiety about climate warming impedes university students to become sustainability stewards An Australian case study. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18(7), 1157–1175. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2016-0179
Prayogo, G. A., Kodrat, D. S., & Wiryakusuma, I. G. B. Y. (2020). Faktor-Faktor yang Membentuk Bisnis Keluarga Bertumbuh Secara Berkelanjutan. PERFORMA, 4(2), 240–247. https://doi.org/10.37715/JP.V4I2.1523
Riecmann, M. (2018). Learning to transform the world: Key competencies in Education for Sustainable Development. In Issues and trends in education for sustainable development - Leicht, Alexander, Heiss, Julia, Won Jung Byun - Google Buku (1st ed., Vol. 39, pp. 39–59). UNESCO Publishing. https://books.google.co.id/books?hl=id&lr=&id=V7lQDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA39&dq=Learning+to+Transform+the+World:+Key+Competencies+in+Education+for+Sustainable+Development&ots=oY-kO_0zSu&sig=_RfySG_DVEhQYq7j1C8nq8JxycA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Learning to Transform the World%3A Key Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development&f=false
Ruggerio, C. A. (2021). Sustainability and sustainable development: A review of principles and definitions. Science of The Total Environment, 786, 147481. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2021.147481
Smaniotto, C., Saramin, A., & Brunelli, L. (2023). Insights and Next Challenges for the Italian Educational System to Teach Sustainability in a Global Context. Sustainability, 15(1), 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010209
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 104, 333-339.
Stankevičiūtė, Ž., & Jarmalavičiūtė, I. (2024). The perspectives of women on sustainable fashion consumption: Comparative study of university teachers and students Živilė. Plos One, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314532 February
Tsai, A. Y. J., & Tan, A. Y. K. (2022). Analysis of Undergraduates’ Environmentally Friendly Behavior: Case Study of Tzu Chi University Environmental Education Program. Energies, 15(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134853
United Nation. (2022). Raising awareness and assessing sustainability literacy on SDG 7 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdinaction/hesi/literacy
Verachtert, S. (2023). Family congruence in sustainability attitudes and behaviour; an analysis of a household survey in Belgium. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(11), 12467-12493.
Wamsler, C. (2020). Education for sustainability: Fostering a more conscious society and transformation towards sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(1), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2019-0152/FULL/PDF
Walker, C. (2017). Tomorrow's leaders and today's agents of change? Children, sustainability education and environmental governance. Children & Society, 31(1), 72-83.