ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND DIGITAL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGIES: A STUDY AMONG INFORMATICS AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n6.4002Keywords:
Cryptocurrencies, Digital Sustainability, Teacher Education, Environmental AwarenessAbstract
This study examines the level of knowledge and awareness of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies among pre-service teachers of Informatics and Technology, with a specific focus on the perception of their environmental impacts and attitudes toward sustainability in digital technologies. The research was conducted through a questionnaire survey (N = 110) that included items related to knowledge and use of cryptocurrencies, awareness of energy consumption and environmental effects of blockchain, and support for integrating sustainability into education. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (t-tests and Spearman correlations) were used to evaluate four research hypotheses. The findings indicate that students demonstrate generally positive attitudes toward sustainability in digital technologies; however, their actual knowledge of environmental consequences associated with cryptocurrencies and blockchain remains limited and fragmented. None of the tested hypotheses were statistically confirmed, suggesting that environmental attitudes are not closely linked to technological knowledge or cryptocurrency usage. These results highlight the need to incorporate topics such as digital sustainability, environmental informatics, blockchain, and ethical technology use into teacher education curricula. The study also outlines implications for pedagogical practice and provides recommendations for future research, including longitudinal studies and the integration of project-based and simulation teaching methods.
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