Reducing energy demand in China and the United Kingdom: The importance of energy literacy

Cotton, Debby; Zhai, Junqing; Miller, Wendy; Valle, Luciana Dalla; Winter, Jennie

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123876

Cited by 31 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Pro-environmental values and attitudes towards the NEP are common among students, as shown by other research where the tool was used in the context of energy literacy. Cotton et al (2021) confirmed the attitudes of university students towards NEP in the context of energy literacy, but there were cultural differences.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

The usual discourse of sustainable development and its impact on students of economics: a case from Czech higher education context

Buchtele

Lapka

2021

IJSHE

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Purpose In recent decades, the concepts of sustainable development (SD) and sustainability have become a part of the everyday information flow. Is there real impact on students who have potential to become stakeholders and decision-makers? To be able to answer this question, the authors focussed on the following problems: whether the discourse of SD has any impact on students of economics concerning their knowledge of the environmental pillar of SD; and whether it has an impact on their individual value orientation towards the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP). Design/methodology/approach A group of 120 university students of economics programs from the Czech Republic was chosen for the quantitative research of this study. About a half of them have already encountered environmental education. The questionnaire included topics of environmental pillar of SD and revised NEP scale. Findings Using correlation analysis, the results show that the discourse of SD does have an impact on the students’ knowledge of the environmental pillar of sustainability and it also has an impact on their individual value orientation towards the NEP in general. The knowledge of the environmental pillar of SD is not significantly influenced by the study of a subject which included the topic of SD and its principles. Value orientation towards NEP is not significantly influenced by the study of a subject which, among other things, included the topic of SD and its principles. Research limitations/implications Findings should be accepted with the knowledge of the limited sample from one country, on the other hand, information flow – usual discourse of SD is global. Social implications There is positive NEP orientation among the students of economics – young women and men have pro-environmental attitudes. This can be considered as great unused social potential in higher education. Originality/value This study deals with knowledge of SD, environmental education and value orientation. It is broader concept taking into account the real social environment in terms of usual SD discourse and individual value orientation, not only direct influence of education on knowledge. The study rejected direct impact of the environmental education on knowledge and value orientation in terms of SD discourse among the students of economics. The findings bring several important questions regarding the effective forms of environmental education.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

The usual discourse of sustainable development and its impact on students of economics: a case from Czech higher education context

Buchtele

Lapka

2021

IJSHE

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“…concerning online presence) is part of an increasing overall energy demand in society (Royston, Selby, and Shove 2018;Wadud, Royston, and Selby 2019). Others point out that students often do not have control over or know their electricity expenses, that they have low incomes and give less consideration to electricity management than members of the general population (Cotton et al 2020;Dulleck et al 2019). However, the findings of social experiments in shared student housing suggest that students can both understand the concept of demand response, as well as engage in practicing flexibility in shared spaces (Higginson 2014).…”

Section: Student Life and Energy Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Flexibility poverty: ‘locked-in’ flexibility practices and electricity use among students

Fjellså

Ryghaug

Skjølsvold

2021

Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy

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The article provides a widened understanding of the concept of end-user flexibility and nuances the traditional individual-oriented approach often used in discussions on low carbon transitions. The authors draw on 75 narratives from of a group of end users that is often considered to be in a very flexible stage of life, namely students. They discuss the co-production of systems connected to material, structural and social factors that extend beyond individual willingness to be a flexible energy consumer. The article stresses that flexibility is shaped by living conditions, everyday life and social norms in particular ways that makes it hard to achieve for students and others living in shared households. The authors conclude that political incentives for low-carbon transitions typically exclude social groups such as students and other vulnerable groups in society, and hence may unintentionally create and reinforce what they term 'flexibility poverty'.

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“…Although this paradigm has been transcended by those presented in the following sections, the idea of measuring both knowledge and attitudes related to the literacy paradigm continues to guide much research work. For example, a recent joint UK-China study of a sample of almost three thousand university students aimed to assess awareness of the need for clean energy (Cotton et al, 2021). Using the terms "energy literacy" and based on the paradigm described above, the research focused on a topic of current relevance, climate change and its link to energy expenditure, which is currently addressed in depth in formal education.…”

Section: Literacy Paradigmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific Culture and Education Sector: Literacy, Understanding, or Engagement?

Maxera¹,

Álvarez-Blanco²

2021

EUROPEAN J ED RES

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<p style="text-align: justify;">Scientific culture has been a concern for decades in the developed world, giving rise to conceptual changes known as paradigms. The first one is the longstanding literacy paradigm, defined by the skills and knowledge acquired at the education institution. It has been followed by the public understanding of science paradigm, related to the scientific understanding and an allegedly subsequent positive attitude towards science. Lastly, the engagement with science paradigm or science and society paradigm involves people's implications about the science-technology controversies with significant social impact. This article reflects how science teaching has evolved along the years in line with the scientific culture's conceptual shifts. It is concluded that this triad of paradigms is thus of a school nature, given that educational fields have suffered from transformation processes under the same vision of the world (world view), which has also changed the concept of scientific culture. Individuals in a research community learn ways of thinking, feeling and acting and therefore cannot help feeling a liking for what is short-lived and has not taken roots, both inside and outside the school in our postmodern age</p>

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Reducing energy demand in China and the United Kingdom: The importance of energy literacy

Cited by 31 publications

References 59 publications

The usual discourse of sustainable development and its impact on students of economics: a case from Czech higher education context

The usual discourse of sustainable development and its impact on students of economics: a case from Czech higher education context

Flexibility poverty: ‘locked-in’ flexibility practices and electricity use among students

Scientific Culture and Education Sector: Literacy, Understanding, or Engagement?

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