An Experimental Examination of Alternative Strategies to Promote Energy Conservation in High School Youth

This paper discusses the results of a research effort in Michigan examining alternative means of encouraging energy conservation in high school youth. The study itself was conducted in Michigan during the 1978-79 school year, and involved a total of 95 high schools. This report describes the methods and procedures used in that study and presents a variety of findings. First, the project demonstrates that it is feasible to carry out this type of large scale research, including the reliable measurement of student attitudes about energy conservation. Second, the results show that both workshops and individual consultations were successful in influencing teachers to include energy conservation instruction in their classes. Finally, the findings concerning impact on student attitudes and self-reported behaviors are mixed but encouraging. These results are presented: preliminary conclusions are drawn; and the necessity for further research is discussed. (Author/RE)