This study investigates the impact of sustainability education on student satisfaction in management education. Blended learning is examined as a mediating variable. The research is situated within the Indian higher education context.
A convergent mixed-method approach was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 260 MBA students using a structured questionnaire and analysed using structural equation modelling through AMOS 23. Qualitative data from 6 semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed using NVIVO 14 to enrich interpretation and contextual depth.
Student satisfaction in sustainability education is driven more by extracurricular sustainability-related experiences, rather than by formal inclusion of sustainability within academic curricula. Blended learning was found to partially mediate this relationship. The study contributes to sustainability education theories by proposing a push–pull sustainability engagement framework in which external motivations (e.g., employability and market demand) and internal motivations (e.g., purpose and social responsibility) jointly shape students' perceptions of sustainability education.
The study is limited to a big private university in India with a diversity of students across India. However, it may still constrain generalizability. Future research should employ cross-institutional or longitudinal designs to validate and extend findings.
Institutions who aims to align with SDG 4.7 should embed sustainability content within management curricula. They should adopt blended learning formats to maximize student engagement and satisfaction.
The study validated two sustainability integration dimensions in an Indian MBA cohort. Curricular integration shows no effect on student satisfaction. Experiential co-curricular integration predicts satisfaction and operates partly via blended-learning usefulness. Mixed-method evidence clarifies why enactment matters more than curriculum presence.
