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Project-Based Learning: An Approach to Promote Energy Literacy Among Secondary School Students

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Abstract

Globalization, rapid industrial development, and tremendous population growth have significantly increased the demand for energy. Sustaining the energy supply requires that society be energy literate. Existing studies on secondary school students’ energy literacy suggest that effective teaching approaches can enhance energy literacy. This quasi-experimental study was designed to test the null hypotheses that project-based energy learning does not enhance knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and beliefs related to energy. For this purpose, two classes from a school were assigned to experimental and control groups. Following the intervention, an ANCOVA analysis with the pretest results as the covariate showed statistically significant differences in the four aspects that were researched. Additionally, interviews with randomly selected students from the experimental and control groups further support the findings. Implications of the findings are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Delivering of Excellence Grant [1002/PGURU/910334].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Educational Studies, University Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Mageswary Karpudewan, Jamunah Ponniah & Ahmad Nurulazam Md. Zain

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  1. Mageswary Karpudewan
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  2. Jamunah Ponniah
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  3. Ahmad Nurulazam Md. Zain
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Correspondence to Mageswary Karpudewan.

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Karpudewan, M., Ponniah, J. & Md. Zain, A.N. Project-Based Learning: An Approach to Promote Energy Literacy Among Secondary School Students. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 25, 229–237 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0256-z

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