Environmental Self-Efficacy as A Mediating Variable in The Relationship Between Climate Anxiety and Low-Carbon Behavior Among Omani Students: An Explanatory Study Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Edu.2026.14512Keywords:
Climate anxiety, environmental self-efficacy, low-carbon behavior, structural equation modeling.Abstract
Objectives: The study explores the direct and indirect relationships between climate anxiety, environmental self-efficacy, and low-carbon behavior among Omani students using structural equation modeling.
Methods: The study adopted a descriptive correlational approach. A convenient sample consisted of (196) male and female students from the eleventh grade, selected from various schools in Muscat Governorate.
Results: The structural equation modeling indicate that the proposed model exhibits good fit indices, with χ²/df = 1.55, CFI = 0.973, TLI = 0.973, and RMSEA = 0.053. The findings reveal a strong and statistically significant direct effect of environmental self-efficacy on low-carbon behavior (β = 0.80, p < 0.001). Furthermore, an indirect effect of climate anxiety on low-carbon behavior through environmental self-efficacy was identified (β = 0.33, p < 0.001). This supports the notion that environmental self-efficacy serves as a mediating variable in the relationship between climate anxiety and low-carbon behavior.
Conclusion: The study concludes that environmental self-efficacy is a key factor mediating the relationship between climate anxiety and low-carbon behavior. This underscores the importance of considering psychological variables when analyzing environmental behaviors.
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