Increasing Middle School Students' Energy Literacy

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the effectiveness of outdoor education on middle school students' energy literacy. An energy literacy curriculum was developed and taught in both outdoor and traditional, indoor classroom settings. Energy literacy constructs of knowledge, attitude, and behavior were evaluated and measured using a survey distributed pre, post, and 1-month after the curriculum was taught. The population (n=130) of this study was 6th grade students attending a five-day residential education program at an outdoor science school. Results showed greater increases in middle school students' energy literacy knowledge, attitude, and behavior when taught in outdoor learning environments. These findings indicate the benefit outdoor and non-traditional learning environments have in improving energy education in order to produce a more energy literate citizenry willing to tackle future energy decisions and challenges.