A Study on Perception and knowledge of 'Renewable Energy' of the Elementary School Teachers

신재생 에너지에 대한 초등 교사들의 인식과 지식 연구

The purposes of this study are to investigate the perception of renewable energy technology among elementary school teachers, and confirm whether elementary school teachers have basic knowledge about renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and tidal power generation. We conducted preliminary interviews to gather information related to other studies about renewable energy. We developed the last interview question about the perception and knowledge of elementary school teachers regarding renewable energy. This study analyzed the transcribed responses of 10 elementary school teachers in Siheung-city, Gyeonggi-do, following 30-minute interviews. The study's findings are as follows. First, elementary school teachers recognize that they are unfamiliar with concepts and they have only shallow content knowledge about renewable energy. And they tended to distorted to other concepts, and analyze to different meanings. Second, elementary school teachers thought that knowledge about renewable energy should be part of a well-rounded education. And they felt positively about solar energy and wind power energy generation but they had a negative view towards tidal power generation because it destroys tideland. Third, teachers tended to confuse solar heat energy and geothermal energy, they tend to think this two energy sources the same. Teachers had generally correct concepts about wind power energy generation. In the case of tidal power generation, elementary school teachers answered mechanically that it is possible on the western sea, and that 'the difference between the rise and fall of the tide' grows. But they could not talk in depth about 'the difference between the rise and fall of the tide' and the force of waves. This suggests that they are answering by simple memorization and without deep understanding.