The effect of hands-on ‘energy-saving house’ learning activities on elementary school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding energy saving and carbon-emissions reduction

Abstract

Energy saving and carbon-emissions reduction (ESCER) are widely regarded as important issues for progress towards ensuring sustainable forms of economic development. This Taiwanese study focuses on the effects of a series of educational activities about ESCER on students' knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Sixty fifth-grade students from two elementary school classes were assigned to an experimental group, and 59 from two others to the control. Covariance and qualitative data analysis were conducted after 14 lessons on the topic in both 'treatments.' The following key findings emerged. First, hands-on 'energysaving house' learning activities seemed to have positive effects on students' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward ESCER, even as the design of authentic learning activities was recognized as not being as closely aligned to the students' daily lives as they could have been for achieving behavior-related outcomes. Second, students demonstrated slight gains in conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge via the hands-on activities, but some ESCER misconceptions persisted. We conclude that students' learning processes, prior learning and authentic contexts for ESCER-related work should not be ignored in the attempt to link knowledge to action in teaching and learning activities.

Socio-Cultural Impact of Energy Saving: Studying the Behaviour of Elementary School Students in Greece

“…Students in Finland participate in sustainability activities and learn through them about natural resources management and energy saving [17]. The study of student behaviour in schools in Taiwan shows that energy saving is linked with their everyday life [18]. Also, research conducted on 2400 students in Taiwan showed that students are encouraged to develop innovative ideas on energy through programs of energy education implemented in their schools [19].…”

Turkish High School Students’ Awareness about Carbon Footprint and the Effects of Teaching on Fostering Awareness

“…In this respect, the development of environmental science programs might be beneficial in terms of bringing in responsibilities to the students at this point and associating the environmental problems with their behaviors (Fusco et al 2012). Environmental education programs demonstrate a change towards the development of environmental behavior as the increase in conceptual knowledge related to the environment (Pooley and O'Connor, 2000;Lee et al 2013). The point here is how these environmental education programs will be designed (Lee et al 2013).…”

“…The disadvantage in environmental education is just focusing on science and not focusing on individual and social relationships; to provide social change, environmental education which focuses on science cannot succeed (Uzzel, 1999). As a result of their study, which was about the reduction of carbon emissions, Lee et al (2013) reported that considering conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge was not efficient in terms of eliminating misconceptions. Caring about the reduction of CF raises the awareness of population and supplies, a movement towards handling those environmental problems at present and in the future in a concrete manner rather than in an abstract manner (Hsu, 1993;Lee et al, 2013).…”

“…As a result of their study, which was about the reduction of carbon emissions, Lee et al (2013) reported that considering conceptual knowledge and procedural knowledge was not efficient in terms of eliminating misconceptions. Caring about the reduction of CF raises the awareness of population and supplies, a movement towards handling those environmental problems at present and in the future in a concrete manner rather than in an abstract manner (Hsu, 1993;Lee et al, 2013). In this respect, to prevent individuals feeling powerless, it will be an important initial step to develop their attitudes and behaviors beginning from the elementary level.…”

Design and use of web lectures to enhance GIS teaching and learning strategies: the students’ opinions

“…Previous research revealed that students learn better from active or hands-on learning activities than in passive presentations of information, such as traditional lectures (Dale 1969;Parkinson et al 2003;Day et al 2005;Chandler et al 2013;Lee et al,2013). This view can be translated into a pyramid form (e.g., the Learning Pyramid), which has the traditional lecture on top and "hands-on practice" near the bottom (see Figure 1).…”