Energy Education Hitting Home: Monitoring the Impact of Energy Matters
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- Added:Thursday, May 13th, 2010
- Writer(s):Caroline Heijne
- Publication Date:April 1, 2003
- Publisher:Centre for Sustainable Energy
- Abstract:This research provides some snapshots into the ways that staff at both primary and secondary schools addressed sustainable energy, often in the context of wider community issues. Of the range of environmental issues affecting society today, dealing with energy use and energy sources can have the most immediate impact on institutions, such as schools, and their local communities. Energy Matters is an energy education programme developed and run by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, in London and across England. The programme is unique, in that it provides education materials with training and ongoing support for teachers through local Energy Educators who deliver the programme. The Energy Matters Resources cover Home Energy, Sustainable Energy and School Energy. These Resources respond to criteria in the National Curriculum, in Science and Geography, and link to other areas of the Curriculum, including Education for Sustainable Development, Literacy, Numeracy, PSHE and Citizenship. This research aimed to evaluate the effect, on energy efficiency activity, of Energy Matters on the schools and homes of participating pupils. The research covered both behavioural changes, to reduce energy consumption, and installation of energy saving measures. Interviews were held with a sample of parents of pupils who had worked with Energy Matters, with a range of staff at some of the schools who had used the programme and with small groups of pupils at the same schools. This research was completed in March 2003. The findings from the research show clearly that there is a considerable impact in relation to energy saving in both schools and the homes of pupils where Energy Matters Resources have been used. • Three quarters of parents had adopted some behavioural changes to save energy as a result of their children’s involvement in Energy Matters. The level of behavioural change is comparable with that achieved by professional energy advice services, such as Energy Efficiency Advice Centres. These parents also rated their children and Energy Matters as almost twice as influential on their behaviour as other sources of information on energy saving. • Nearly all the pupils involved in this research said that they had done a number of different things to save energy, both at home and at school, and that they would be able to keep on doing these. • Staff in most of the participating schools reported a number of actions taken by pupils and staff to reduce energy consumption as a result of work they had done with pupils on Energy Matters. • Most of the schools involved in this research undertook energy saving investment. Some of this was as a direct result of staff involvement in Energy Matters. Involvement in Energy Matters also encouraged other staff to ensure that energy saving was a factor in deciding on future maintenance and refurbishment programmes in their schools. Energy Matters helps schools to build on their home–school links through an activity which helps educate parents as well as the pupils.
- Tags:consumer behaviour, education, Pilot Studies, Research, residential, UK