Climate change necessitates collective efforts to mitigate its effects. Public understanding of climate change is crucial for meaningful action. Youths play a vital role in climate action, but their knowledge of climate change remains limited. University students are a critical population that should be enlightened and empowered to drive the desired action. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of climate change awareness among Kenyatta University undergraduates. The study was conducted at Kenyatta University between November and December 2021. A quasi-experimental research design was employed, utilizing environmental courses as the treatment variable with four intensity levels, spanning from the first year to the fourth year. Purposive sampling was used to select three schools: the School of Environmental Studies (SES), the School of Business (SB), and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS). Stratified random sampling was then applied to select respondents from the four years of study (year 1-year 4). A sample size of 375 students (n=375) was obtained, comprising 177 females and 198 males across the three schools. The School of Environmental Studies formed the experimental group, while the School of Business and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences formed the control group. A questionnaire was administered to participants drawn from each year level within the three schools. Data analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA with a significance level of 0.05. The study found that study discipline, year of study, gender, and geographical location are key determinants of climate change awareness among Kenyatta University undergraduates. Access to media plays a significant role in enhancing knowledge acquisition, thereby accelerating action. Similar research should be conducted in other institutions of higher learning to further explore the determinants of climate change awareness among university students.

 

Key words: Climate change knowledge, climate change awareness, year of study, study discipline, geographic location, access to media.