Development and practical study of energy education program for islands' students

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K12768
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Science education
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: SHIMIZU Yoichi 琉球大学, 教育学部, 教授 (80226258)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 濱田 栄作 琉球大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (20413718)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: エネルギー教育 / STEM

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We developed an educational program for students to learn the island's energy. In order to develop teaching materials that fit the students' realities, we investigated their awareness of energy. In addition, as a teaching material that can realize energy, we produced toy cars that store electricity generated by a windmill in a capacitor using inexpensive parts. Furthermore, we used aerial photos of the island to visualize the amount of renewable energy needed to meet the island's electric power demand. And by placing solar and wind power plants of the same scale on the photo, these were used as a teaching material to numerically consider the island's power. We practiced using these materials and confirmed the effectiveness of this program.

Free Research Field

技術科教育

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本は世界有数のエネルギー消費国でありながら，そのエネルギー自給率は10%に満たない。今後，エネルギーに対する適切な判断と行動をするためには，エネルギーに内在するリスクやベネフィットを正しく理解し，地球規模的な視野を持った市民の育成が重要となる。そのためにも，次代を担う子どもたちには，系統的でかつ実感をともなう地域に根ざしたエネルギー教育プログラムが必要であり，本研究は学術的意義のみではなく，社会的意義も大きい。