%0 Articles
%T Prospects for renewable energy education (REE) in elevating youth energy and environmental awareness in Jordan
%A Zyadin, Anas
%D 2015
%J Dissertationes Forestales
%V 2015
%N 207
%R doi:10.14214/df.207
%U http://dissertationesforestales.fi/article/1990
%X Renewable Energy Education (REE) is an evolving public education approach which ultimately aims to elevate public awareness and cultivate their support toward renewable energy (RE) development. Young citizens are the pacesetters of RE development if equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. There is however a lack of research studies aimed at exploring and understanding young citizens’ perceptions and attitudes toward RE particularly in developing countries. Jordan is an example of fossil fuels-addict country yet it is endowed with enormous RE potentials. This dissertation provides a synthesis drawn from exploring school students’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward renewable energy and their perceptions toward environment protection (Paper 1, VI). This study also investigated knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward RE among secondary school teachers (Paper II). The nature of interactions between students, home, school, and the role of mass media were also explored (Paper III).

The results show that females, residents of urban areas, and students of private- mixed schools are more knowledgeable of the uses and the nature of renewable energy technologies (Paper I). The study found that boys seem to promote nuclear power while girls promote renewables (Paper 1). When it comes to environmental issues, girls attribute the responsibility to protect the environment to the people while boys attributed it to the government. Girls however appeared very skeptical about the role of science and technology and interventions from the developed countries to protect the environment (Paper IV). The students’ knowledge of bioenergy appeared very weak (Paper I). Although teachers support renewable energy however they appeared skeptical about its future development in Jordan (Paper II). The teachers thus support nuclear power and oil shale resources utilization as a mean for economic development. The students denoted their parents as a prime source of information whilst they signified internet as an important tool to acquire information.

The study suggests that educated and well-informed young citizens may convey their knowledge to their illiterate parents. TV and school activities appeared of great importance for girls whilst boys preferred parents and school teachers (Paper III). The study highlights the need to revisit the current public education policies in Jordan to craft new policies aimed at fostering the knowledge of RE and its uses and benefits with special focus on girls’ preferences and needs. The study also suggests developing the RE knowledge capacities of teachers to ensure successful implementation of newly crafted educational policies. The study further suggests developing public outreach campaigns through mass media with the aim to eliminate controversies among the public regarding the future energy choices.