Dr. Carol Ann Franklin, my on-ground advisor, will read first and then it is off to my Capstone advisor Dr. Jason Siniscalchi.
This was really a great learning experience. In reflecting about my work, I realized that it would be rather difficult to manage a change in attitudes and behaviors with regards to energy usage in just my short time with the students.
I have elected to post here the closing paragraphs of my thesis:
The subject of energy is rich in content. When choosing to teach about energy, this researcher elected to construct and deliver an instructional treatment that many would consider to be a comprehensive overview. The instructional treatment covered sources of energy, the generation of electricity, what it means to make sustainable choices, and lessons on renewable energy (solar, wind, and hydroelectricity). From the results of the pre and post surveys, content knowledge regarding energy was gained. Progress, however, was not noted in the areas of attitude and behavior. Given the three week instructional period and an audience of students too young to be in decision making roles, it is not too surprising that there were not big shifts in those results.
There are, however, two special instances stemming from the
Summer Success Academy that gives this researcher hope for the future. One came while playing the Energy Choices
(n.d.) board game during the first day of instruction. This game was developed at Clarkson
University (where DeWaters and Powers are professors) through the support of a
National Science Foundation grant. The
purpose of this game is to put the players in decision making roles that mimic
real life energy-based situations. Each player
starts with a home card and a mode of transportation card. These two factors dictate what the player
will have to pay for the energy used in order to support those life-style choices.
As they move around the game board, the
players learn through their choices, such as driving one’s personal vehicle
instead of taking public transportation or deciding which refrigerator to buy,
that there are environmental consequences as well as associated costs with each
decision. The game finished with a
group discussion based on the questions provided along with the board
game. One Summer Success Academy student
remarked that, “Energy from renewable sources saved money.” Another stated that, “It is better for the
environment to ride a bike instead of driving a car.” Lastly, another said, “Energy costs a lot of
money.” These true statements show the
power of this game.
Another special aspect comes post-Summer Success Academy. It has been reported to this researcher that some of the foster youth group homes served by the Summer Success Academy have decided to create an energy incentive program where conservation is the goal. This will be a competition amongst the group homes that are managed by the same director. Each home will compare their current utility bills to the previous year’s bill and then a goal for reducing energy usage (and therefore saving money).
This latter example shows that change comes in its own time
and in unique ways. It may not be the
results of a survey that tell a researcher that change has occurred. The creation of this new energy incentive
program demonstrates that learning about conservation and sustainability happen
(regardless of the motivation for change).
For other Summer Success Academy students, change may not come until
they are living on their own. However, by
the responses given to the energy board game questions, there is an indication that
something was indeed gained through this learning experience. Individual attitudes and behaviors with
regards to energy do count. As all of these
students are faced with their own energy decisions, this researcher believes that,
by having this past experience, the students will use the knowledge gained when
considering both the environmental factors and the associated costs that
accompany their choices.
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