Energy Literacy of Indiana High School Practical Arts and Vocational Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to develop an energy knowledge examination, investigate the extent high school teachers of home economics, agriculture, and industrial arts differ in their knowledge of energy, and to ascertain the extent their knowledge of energy differs with personal, educational, and geographic characteristics.

Based upon literature review, a subject model was structured according to Bloom's (1956) taxonomy category of Knowledge and Hauenstein's (1972) procedure for classifying knowledges. Energy experts critically evaluated this model, which after refinement, was used to develop an Energy Knowledge Examination. The model consisted of six primary elements: sources, uses, costs, conservation, conversion, and policy issues. Energy experts reviewed items for accuracy, relevance, reading level, and clarity. The final instrument (65 multiple choice questions), was administered to a stratified random sample of Indiana public high school (IPHS) teachers from selected disciplines.

Findings revealed significant biases among energy experts regarding relevance of specific subject content to the needs of teachers and students. Significant differences in the energy knowledge of IPHS teachers existed only in specific areas of the subject. The overall energy knowledge of presently practicing teachers was limited, and they were more knowledgeable of energy conservation, conversion, and policy issues than of energy sources, uses, and costs. Teachers' energy knowledge of specific subject elements varied significantly with age, experience, educational level, academic discipline, and sex.

The findings prompted several recommendations. Comprehensive in-service programs which address the complete subject instead of specific elements, should be implemented with the objective of raising the energy knowledge level of teachers. Curriculum guides need to be developed to provide teachers a framework for planning energy instruction. Teacher educators need to expand interdisciplinary communications and evaluate their content biases. Education agencies should evaluate existing energy education materials and programs in light of the developed model. Regular updating of the Energy Knowledge Examination is needed to permit its use by students, educators, and researchers as a reliable and current evaluation tool.