The Opinions of Eighth Grade Students on Renewable Energy Sources in their Environment: A Local Perspective

Abstract

Renewable and local energy sources have great importance in meeting the energy needs of individuals. Students’ opinions on renewable energy sources (RES) in the environment they live in are considered important as they will be decision-makers in the future. The current study is aimed at determining the opinions of eighth grade students about RES in their environment. In this research, phenomenology design from the qualitative research method was used. 31 eighth-grade students participated in the study in the 2021-2022 school year from Gaziantep's Nizip district. The participating students were determined by using convenience sampling, which is one of the purposive sampling methods. The research, in which a semi-structured interview form was used, was analyzed according to content analysis. The findings revealed that, according to the participants, the most used renewable energy in their environment is solar energy. The students’ answers about the characteristics of RES showed that they have knowledge about this subject. However, their giving only solar, wind, and hydroelectric energies as examples of RES shows that their opinions on this subject are limited. The students’ answers about the positive effects of RES on the environment showed that their awareness is high. However, it was revealed that the participants did not have enough awareness about this issue when the negative effects of RES were examined. Given both the local and global importance of energy-related issues, it is recommended to discuss the characteristics specific to different regions in future research.