Post-Primary Education and Energy Literacy: An Analysis of the Potential for Geography Curricula to Contribute to Australian Students' Energy Literacy

Y

12

Energy; Geography Instruction; Foreign Countries; Fuels; World Views; Sustainability; Systems Approach; Teaching Methods; Curriculum; Literacy; Grounded Theory; Coding; Secondary School Students; Environmental Education; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Teacher Role; Climate; Pollution; Qualitative Research; Documentation; Content Analysis

0085-0969

Unparalleled amounts of energy derived from fossil fuels now drive societies and shape people's worldviews. Geography's unique perspectives have significant potential to expand understandings of the effects of production and consumption of energy by drawing on the concept of sustainability using an integrated systems approach. As citizens' energy choices are central to sustainability, the recent introduction of a national geography curriculum in Australia offers potential for developing energy literate young people by providing opportunities to address energy literacy concepts and issues. The focus of this paper is to examine the extent to which energy literacy concepts are present in the current Australian curriculum for Geography. Using document analysis within a grounded theory approach, this article analyses the Australian Curriculum: Geography, Levels 7, 8, 9 and 10 to assess the extent to which energy literacy concepts and issues could potentially be addressed. Data were open coded allowing categories to emerge, and relationships between categories were identified. The three major domain categories that arose are Energy and Society, Growth and Sustainability, and Energy and Environmental Change. Each takes related concepts that together enable richer means of analysis and understanding. This study found that though Australia's new geography curriculum has potential for developing energy literate young people, energy literacy is not explicitly articulated or mandated. Hence, the degree to which energy literacy is addressed in the post-primary classroom depends significantly on the teacher's own level of energy literacy and their inclination and capability to teach energy concepts and issues.

As Provided

23

2015

EJ1071653