Elementary Students Enhancing their Understanding of Energy-Saving through Collaborative Knowledge-Building Activities

Abstract

Effective energy education depends on continuing research designed to identify instructional strategies that will proof effective in particular learning contexts. The aim of this study was to help Taiwanese students learn about energy-saving related concepts through idea-centered, collaborative knowledge-building activities carried out in an online environment. The participants were 34 fifth-grade Taiwanese students. The data were taken mainly from students’ online interaction logs and discourse content. We found that knowledge-building activities helped to transform students into more collaborative, autonomous and creative learners, capable of working innovatively with ideas to address the energy-related issues under discussion. The students also demonstrated deeper understanding of the energy-related topics they explored. This study suggests that knowledge-building, an innovative pedagogical approach, was conducive to collaborative learning even in young students. Energy-saving is a very complex environmental issue that is relevant to the future survival of all human beings and our planet (Boyes and Stanisstreet 1993; Hansen 2010). Collaborative problem-solving will be required to address this difficult issue; it will not be possible to rely on an individual genius. This implies that we need to raise global awareness of the need to save energy through education. Young students can be taught the collaborative science and problem-solving skills that will be needed to address emergent environmental problems. The aim of this study was to use collaborative learning to improve students’ understanding of issues related to greenhouse effects and sustainable energy use. To this end, a knowledge-building approach that emphasizes “idea-centered collaboration” (Hong 2011) was implemented. This kind of collaborative approach is very different from group-based collaboration, which is commonly used in schools in Taiwan. The latter approach was designed to help students learn and master rich knowledge (e.g., textbook concepts) as efficiently as possible, through group-based division of labor or collaboration. In contrast, idea-centered collaboration is more concerned with students’ ability to work creatively with ideas in tackling an inquiry problem. It is posited that carrying out well-designed collaborative learning activities will help students develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to learn about the science relevant to energy and environmental issues. In the following, we first discuss the importance of energy education, and outline our rationale for using an idea-centered collaborative approach. Then we present the method, research questions, study design, data and analytical approach used to address the research questions. Finally, we present and discuss our findings.