CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Of The Study
In today’s world, energy is viewed as an omnipresent commodity. Institutions (private corporations, governments, schools, colleges, and so on) and individuals alike rely heavily on consistent access to useable energy in all forms ( Creighton and Dewey, 1916). In the twenty-first century, energy (electrical) has become a vital commodity for the human race (Assmann, 2002), and as a result, global warming has increased, diminishing worldwide safety. Literacy, or the capacity to read and write, is a basic human right and the basis for lifelong learning. Literacy is defined as the capacity to understand the positive and negative aspects of a situation, and it is mostly acquired via formal education ( Claudio, 1988). Although renewable energy, energy legislation, energy efficiency devices, and energy conservation measures have been widely embraced in many countries throughout the world, energy education is one of the most important strategies to address future energy challenges. Energy education is critical at all levels of schooling and in the foreseeable future. In many (developed/developing) supply, this field of energy is progressively being integrated into the school curriculum.
Almost all professions utilize energy as a commodity to satisfy consumer expectations. As a result, energy was not considered a separate educational discipline, but rather was integrated into some aspects (energy conversion, conservation, transmission, utilization, extraction, and distribution) of some disciplines (e.g. electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering, as well as physics) based on their relevance to students at that level. Energy education is the process of informing the general people about energy, what it implies, and how to utilize and make energy decisions. Energy education should be categorised according to the pupils or audience it is intended for. This education should not be restricted to the classroom; instead, a concerted effort should be made to create informal educational activities to reach out to the broader population. Energy-saving activities should be pushed on social media, and advertisements, banners, and slogans that promote energy conservation should be encouraged. Garg and Kandpal (1995) examine some of the most essential energy education topics. It is necessary to have a wide purpose for any educational program, and this proposed energy education system can follow the broad objectives stated below.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
Most developing nations across the world, particularly those in Africa, continue to face significant energy issues in electricity generation. Nigeria, the research’s case study, nevertheless has a higher percentage of its people living in areas with insufficient or no power. Though energy education is required around the world, it is especially critical in poorer nations. Most developing nations are endowed with huge renewable energy resources, which are either underused or unutilized to this day, depending on the country. Although Nigeria’s solar potential is enormous, its underutilization or non-utilization is visible in the country’s electricity industry. (Global energy network, 2014): Some of the qualities accessible in underdeveloped nations that make energy education crucial include:
Most developing nations have excellent solar radiation potential, making energy education an important step forward in resource development.
Most of these nations are also oil producers, and the lack of energy knowledge experienced by the majority of their inhabitants prevents the country’s oil from being used to its full potential.
In the moment, only a few developing nations have special/specialized energy education programs at their educational institutions.
1.3 Objectives Of The Study
The.major objective of the study is the evaluation of energy literacy among Senior secondary students in Nigeria. Which is to be achieved through the following specific objectives:
(I) Evaluating physics students’ general level energy Knowlegde in Nigeria.
(ii) Investigating students’ energy cognitive level, energy behavior/ behavioral knowledge,
(iii) Observing students’ willingness to learn about energy-related issues,
(iv) Correlating students’ demographic background with their energy behavior, knowledge, and consumption rate, and
(v) Evaluating the effect of levels of class against their energy literacy level.
1.4 Research Questions
The above objectives are to be achieved through the following research questions.
(1) What is the prevalent level of energy literacy among Nigerian senior secondary students?
(2) Is there a statistically significant relationship between students’ energy knowledge and their gender, school type, age range, and subject of study?
