Energy literacy, which encompasses broad content knowledge as well as affective and behavioral characteristics, will empower people to make appropriate energy-related choices and embrace changes in ...the way we harness and consume energy. Energy literacy was measured with a written questionnaire completed by 3708 secondary students in New York State, USA. Results indicate that students are concerned about energy problems (affective subscale mean 73% of the maximum attainable score), yet relatively low cognitive (42% correct) and behavioral (65% of the maximum) scores suggest that students may lack the knowledge and skills they need to effectively contribute toward solutions. High school (HS) students scored significantly better than middle school (MS) students on the cognitive subscale; gains were greatest on topics included in NY State educational standards, and less on topics related to “practical” energy knowledge such as ways to save energy. Despite knowledge gains, there was a significant drop in energy conservation behavior between the MS and HS students. Intercorrelations between groups of questions indicate energy-related behaviors are more strongly related to affect than to knowledge. These findings underscore the need for education that improves energy literacy by impacting student attitudes, values and behaviors, as well as broad content knowledge.
► Energy literacy of secondary students in New York State, US, was measured with a written survey. ► Students scored 42%, 65%, and 73% (out of 100%) on cognitive, affective, and behavioral subscales. ► HS students scored higher on cognitive, but lower on behavioral questions than MS students. ► Results suggest energy-related behaviors more closely related to affective factors than to knowledge. ► Study underscores importance of influencing attitudes/values to realize energy-related behavioral change.
The main objective of this research was to produce a pictorial story about alternative energy. The concept of alternative energy is discussed in thematic learning in class IV theme 2, subtheme 3, ...Learning 1. This product was made based on the limitations of the material in the 2013 Curriculum student book and the needs in the classroom. Based on a questionnaire from 27 students, 77% answered that they had never read a book/literature on alternative energy. Research Development (R D) method was applied in this research, with six stages: (1) Potential and problem analysis, (2) Data collection, (3) Product Design, (4) Product validation, (5) Product Design Improvement, (6) Product Design Testing. The data gathering techniques applied were interviews, observations, and questionnaires. The product was approved by two validators with 3.81 of 4 in average. This product will be worth testing after it has been revised. The trial was conducted on students and teachers. The student’s score of understanding the contents was obtained at 2.94 (maximum score of 4). However, the teacher said that this product could be a media for literacy in the ecological topic. These pictorial stories helped them to realize integrated learning.
Energy literacy is a key factor for understanding, acceptance, and public support of the ongoing transformations in the energy sector. This study aimed to assess the cognitive dimension of energy ...literacy among teenage students from the Czech Republic. We have tested their knowledge of energy-related issues in a broader technical, environmental, and socio-economic context of energy production. Altogether, N = 244 eighth-grade students from seven elementary schools participated in the open-question assessment, followed by data analysis and quantification of the results. The main finding is that students perform unsatisfactorily on several key points necessary to understand energy generation, transformation, and collateral impacts. Energy externalities were identified as the most substantial topic in energy education that is underrepresented in the active knowledge of young students. A literature survey suggests that this problem might be quite widespread. Recommendations are provided for learning interventions that should equip future citizens for an evidence-based public debate on the transition to sustainable energy sources.
As the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible across the globe, awareness of the need for cleaner energy and demand reduction is growing. Energy literacy offers a strong potential for ...explaining and predicting energy-related behaviours, yet research and policies focused on this topic remain limited. In this study, energy literacy was measured in a sample of 2806 university students in the United Kingdom and China, in addition to their wider environmental attitudes using the New Ecological Paradigm scale. Findings indicate that energy literacy was relatively high overall, but there were significant differences between the knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intentions of participants in the two countries. Whilst the UK respondents rated themselves significantly more highly on perceived knowledge of energy issues, Chinese respondents provided significantly more correct answers in a knowledge test. UK respondents demonstrated more positive attitudes towards energy conservation than those from China, and were more likely to report energy-saving behaviours. However, Chinese respondents exhibited higher levels of trust in government and businesses to take action on energy issues. This paper provides a novel insight into cultural differences which may be crucial to policy and practice, and evidences the potential benefits of utilising a combination of educational and structural change to support transition to a cleaner, low-energy society.
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•Significant differences in energy literacy arose in 1806 students in UK and China.•Chinese respondents demonstrated more knowledge about energy than UK respondents.•UK respondents demonstrated more positive attitudes and energy saving behaviours.•Cultural context, including trust in government impacts on energy-saving behaviours.•Combining educational and structural change will aid transition to a cleaner world.
The digitalisation of the energy domain can bring forth numerous aspects of the energy transition that can boost the emergence of energy citizenship, information sharing, and improved decision-making ...processes. However, this is premised on citizens being able to make sense of (digital) information. Hence, this paper proposes a link between energy informatics and energy citizenship via energy literacy, considering the cognitive and affective aspects of energy literacy and their relation to behaviour and action. By doing so, this paper aims to understand how the use of energy-related information and social media within five different case studies from the GRETA project can impel energy citizenship. This paper approaches this rationale through different means: (a) structured interviews to understand how citizens understand and make use of energy information within the case studies; (b) topic modelling on the content of those interviews to identify common factors that might spur on hinder behaviour change towards energy citizenship; and (c) social media content analysis to identify key energy-related topics of discussions among citizens around the globe and assess the role of social media as a tool for energy citizenship. As a result, this paper identified some key takeaways to improve the delivery of energy-related information to energy citizens for enhanced energy citizenship. These takeaways allow to conclude that it is fundamental to surpass the formal boundaries of techno-economic constructs and start addressing qualitative/subjective constructs (e.g., emotions, affections, and feelings) to foster energy citizenship. Also, these takeaways could be translated into social mechanism principles in the design of frontend energy-related digital platforms for improved end-user interactions and energy citizenship. Finally, this paper recognised the need to incentivise energy citizens to use social media for consuming energy-related information, and the need to formulate coordinated and coherent response strategies for disseminating energy-related information.
•The energy literacy literature employs various definitions and measurements.•We propose a typology including four different types of household energy literacy.•The literature tends to report low ...levels of each type of household energy literacy.•We call for common principles and measures in future energy literacy research.
The concept of energy literacy is increasingly receiving more research attention within the fields of education, economics and psychology. A wide variety of definitions and approaches characterise the energy literacy literature, making comparisons and generalizability of the findings problematic. This paper aims to review and organise the energy literacy literate that focus on the understanding of domestic electricity and gas use, by providing a framework for categorisation of the different conceptual and methodological approaches. Four types of household energy literacy are distinguished based on the existing literature: 1) device energy literacy, 2) action energy literacy, 3) financial energy literacy and 4) multifaceted energy literacy. The literature on each type of energy literacy is critically reviewed, focusing on the level of household energy literacy, its predictors and its relation to energy use. We call for more common principles and measures within the energy literacy research to allow for direct comparisons and longitudinal research on household energy literacy. This would greatly improve the quality and impact of the research, which in turn will help policy makers to decide how to address (which type of) energy literacy to facilitate domestic energy conservation.
Viewed as an essential tool, which sensitizes citizens to create sustainable energy consumption habits, energy literacy has attained a growing interest among researchers and policy makers in recent ...years. Energy literacy encompasses not only the cognitive domain, but also the affective and behavioral characteristics, enabling citizens to make appropriate decisions regarding energy. Considering its relevance, several studies have been carried out on this topic. In this paper, we seek to gather the main contributions of the existing literature on the subject, in order to concentrate and organize them. Most of the existent research seeks to assess the levels of literacy of the population, in the three dimensions - knowledge, affectivity and behavior -, to perceive the relationships between them, and which factors influence literacy levels. Recently another concept has emerged that relates energy literacy to financial literacy. Conciliating these two views, we present a proposal for a more comprehensive assessment of energy literacy levels, which includes the evaluation of financial and energy knowledge, without neglecting the evaluation of attitudes and behavior. This study will provide useful pointers to researchers and policy makers.
•A problematic gap may exist between academic theory about energy attitudes and our empirical results.•A gulf exists between real and imagined Danish knowledge about energy topics.•Energy democracy ...and high levels of literacy and awareness may be incompatible with low carbon energy transitions.
This article investigates how a mix of energy-users from Denmark perceives energy and environmental issues such as the affordability of electricity and gasoline, the seriousness of climate change, and preferences for different energy systems. Its primary source of data is a pilot survey and energy literacy test distributed in English and Danish to 328 respondents spread across the country. The survey results are used to test four propositions about energy prices, being “green,” public knowledge and competence about energy issues, and self-sufficiency and sustainable technology. The data supports the propositions that Danes identify with “being green” and prefer national and local policies that endorse sustainable technology and being self-sufficient. However, the data also challenges the propositions that Danes would prioritize low energy prices and affordability as key energy concerns and that they are knowledgeable about energy and environmental issues. In this way, a problematic gap may exist between what many academic articles (and previous surveys) report Danish attitudes to be and what this study suggests they are. Given Denmark's ambitious low-carbon goals, these findings have clear relevance to other communities and countries seeking to decarbonize their own energy sectors.
•Closing the energy efficiency gap requires rational decision-making of consumers.•Boundedly rational consumers use heuristics when making appliance purchase decisions.•The role of energy and ...investment literacy on appliance choice is examined.•A high level of energy and investment literacy supports rational decision-making.•Displaying monetary information increases the probability to perform an optimization.
It is an ongoing debate how to increase the adoption of energy-efficient light bulbs and household appliances in the presence of the so-called ‘energy efficiency gap’. One measure to support consumers’ decision-making towards the purchase of more efficient appliances is the display of energy-related information in the form of energy-efficiency labels on electric consumer products. Another measure is to educate consumers in order to increase their level of energy and investment literacy. Thus, two questions arise when it comes to the display of energy-related information on appliances: (1) What kind of information should be displayed to enable consumers to make rational and efficient choices? (2) What abilities and prior knowledge do consumers need to possess to be able to process this information? In this paper, using a series of (recursive) bivariate probit models and three samples of 583, 877 and 1375 households from three major Swiss urban areas, we show how displaying information on the future energy consumption of electrical appliances in monetary terms (CHF), rather than in physical units (kWh), increases the probability that an individual makes a calculation and identifies the appliance with the lowest lifetime cost. In addition, our econometric results suggest that individuals with a higher level of energy and, in particular, investment literacy are more likely to perform an optimization rather than relying on a decision-making heuristic. These individuals are also more likely to identify the most (cost-)efficient appliance.
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