From knowledge to action: ecotourism as a methodological framework for geographical competence in higher education

Abstract

Protected places increasingly serve as informal learning spaces that influence visitors’ environmental understanding and behavior. This study examines the role of geographical knowledge (GK) in fostering sustainable behavior (SB) using educational methods in ecotourism contexts. A dual-path conceptual model is developed to investigate this, wherein educational influence mediates the links between GK and both cognitive (environmental attitude or EA) and affective (place attachment or PA) dimensions. Data were gathered from 340 individuals, comprising university students and visiting tourists at the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve in Kazakhstan, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The interactions among the constructs were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings demonstrate that GK substantially improves perceived educational impact (EI), subsequently reinforcing EA, PA, and SB. Although both location attachment and EA positively affect SB, emotional attachment proved to be the most significant predictor. The model accounts for 81% of the variance in SB, underscoring the significance of educational experiences in protected areas and illustrating that the development of sustainability encompasses both cognitive and affective processes.