Developing an energy literacy scaling technique and an evaluation model of energy education efficacy: A case of elementary to high school students

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13949
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 25010:Social systems engineering-related
• Research Institution: Fukui Prefectural University (2020); Waseda University (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Nakai Miwa 福井県立大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (30778080)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: エネルギーリテラシー / 中高生 / エネルギー選択 / ESD / 親子調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is hypothesised that there is a positive relationship between energy literacy and appropriate energy choices including choice of renewable energy. This research project aims at providing the policy implications on education programs to promote energy literacy as well as induce appropriate energy choices. I specified the energy literacy that should be understood among junior and high school students in Japan, and developed the tests to measure the literacy. The survey was conducted for students and their parents and it finds that the level of energy literacy for junior and high school students is not enough, especially the understanding of how energy usage affects environment is scarce. The study also discloses the effective teaching methodologies which could improve the level of energy literacy.

Free Research Field

環境経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地域分散型エネルギーシステムへの移行に向けて、技術革新やエネルギーシステム改革の在り方など、供給サイドに着目した研究が多く見受けられる。一方、本研究では需要サイド、とりわけ、将来のエネルギーシステムを担う将来世代を対象とし、再生可能エネルギー主体の分散型電源からの電力購入を誘引する方法として、エネルギーリテラシーに着目した。これまで構築されてこなかった中高生向けのリテラシー評価手法を開発したことで、リテラシーの現状把握や教育効果の検証が実施可能となった。また、リテラシー向上に寄与する教育の在り方を明らかにし、教育へのフィードバックを行う点にも学術的・社会的意義があるといえる。