An assessment of energy cognizance, attitude toward energy conservation, and perceived energy conservation behavior of selected public school educators

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of an energy education in-service program by assessing the energy cognizance, attitude toward energy conservation, and the perceived energy conservation behavior of selected Texas public school educators before and after an in-service training program. The participants of this study were 313 classroom teachers of the Bryan (Texas) Independent School District, which is composed of ten elementary (K-5) schools and four secondary (6-12) schools. Teachers of thirteen schools participated in the in-service meetings of this quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest study. An evaluation instrument was adapted from existing instruments and an in-service presentation was developed from those available through the Texas Education Agency Regional Service Centers and from the Energy Conservation Resources for Education (ENCORE) materials. The hypotheses were tested both by campus and by level to determine if significant (.05 level) differences existed prior to the treatment, following the treatment across the treatment. The possibility of significant interactions or trends was also tested. ...