Two persuasive communications were constructed and validated. Validity was tested by verifying the presence of supportive and counterarguments. The one-sided communication was shown to contain only supportive arguments, while the two-sided communication contained both supportive and counterarguments. Implications for instruction are addressed. (JN)

A study was conducted to determine if differences existed in adoption rate of household energy conservation practices in families with varying husband-wife commitment to values and to determine if adoption of energy practices varied with contextual variables. The value of eco-consciousness was found to be a predictor of energy conservation…

This document presents findings of a study that evaluated the use of both propane and compressed natural gas as alternative fuels for Washington State school buses. It discusses air quality improvement actions by state- and federal-level regulators and summarizes vehicle design, development, and commercialization activities by all major engine,…

Taking advantage of legislation permitting modified school calendars, the four-day work week has been implemented by 23 small, rural Colorado school districts representing 5,200 children. Thirteen districts implemented the four-day program in the 1980-81 school year. Ten additional districts applied as first year pilot programs in the 1981-82…

The School Retrofit Design Analysis System (SRDAS) developed in this study provides a non-technical method for the school administrator to use in evaluating alternative energy saving retrofit and new construction design possibilities. By providing a high degree of flexibility, SRDAS is applicable to a wide range of school building and retrofit…

To better understand construction's impact, an overview of building ecology as a concept and as a decision-making model for school systems is provided. "Building ecology" is defined as the interrelationships among people, the built environment, and the natural environment. It has special relevance for school design because most of the…

The effect of field-dependence-independence (FDI) on subject-matter achievement and mastery of inquiry skills was explored using a partially balanced design. No significant F values were found in the analysis of variance for either the main effects or the covariates: past achievement, teaching mode, and minutes of instruction. (Author/CT)

Evaluation of Energy Source Education Program investigated effects on energy-related knowledge, attitudes, and conservation behaviors of 1,349 sixth graders in 15 schools who had participated in the program since kindergarten. Function-specific assessment instrument, Energy Biographer Assessment Test, was specially developed for this purpose.…

One area explored in the second (in-depth) phase of the Learning in Science Project was "children's science," defined as views of the world and the meanings for words that children have and bring with them to science lessons. The investigation reported focuses on the concept of "energy" held by 52 Form 1 to 6 students. Data…

Examines the effects of a one-day Department of Energy sponsored workshop on the energy conservation attitudes of four groups (N=60) of science teachers (K-8). Content included information in the area of energy resources and energy education. Information was presented in the form of mini-lectures, slide presentations, discussions, demonstrations,…

This report describes the solar heating of two adjoining buildings, a gymnasium and a locker room, at a coeducational boarding school. Federal assistance was obtained from the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) as part of the Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Program. The system uses a 2,500-square-foot array of…

This final report outlines objectives and accomplishments of the Environmental/Energy Education project in Florida. The project was initiated to: (l) identify existing environmental/energy education projects; (2) conduct a needs assessment workshop; (3) develop recommendations for the implementation of environmental education programs; and (4)…

This is the final report of a workshop in which selected teachers from Florida public schools learned about energy technology and conservation, and teaching methodology needed to incorporate energy education into existing school curriculum. Participants were teachers of science, social studies, environmental studies, and home economics. During the…

The purpose of this study was to establish more precisely what factors determine energy use in schools, to evaluate the efficiency of and necessity for these, and to make recommendations for the reduction of energy use. These recommendations will be applied to the design of specific projects that will be built, monitored, and evaluated. This…

The purpose of this study was to establish the technical and economic feasibility of using solar energy for the heating and cooling of buildings. Five selected building types in 14 selected cities were used to determine loads for space heating, space cooling and dehumidification, and domestic service hot water heating. Relying on existing and…