ABSTRACT

Purpose This study examines the awareness and attitudes regarding renewable energy among 360 Arab students and 180 teachers across elementary, middle, and high schools in northern Israel. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data was collected via structured questionnaires focusing on knowledge of solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy sources and attitudes towards their use. Methodology The methodology included descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, such as Pearson correlations and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), to compare differences across educational levels and between students and teachers. Results: High school students reported higher awareness (M = 3.36 on a 5-point scale) than middle school (M = 2.53) and elementary school students (M = 1.91), and teachers reported the highest awareness (M = 3.95). Attitude scores followed the same increasing trend by educational level. A significant MANOVA indicated group differences in awareness and attitudes across teachers and students in Grade 6, Grade 9, and Grade 12 (p < .001). Post hoc tests confirmed that each successive educational level showed higher mean awareness and more favorable attitudes than the preceding level. Awareness was strongly correlated with attitudes among students (r = .72, p < .001) and more modestly correlated among teachers (r = .27, p = .004). In addition, 85% of teachers supported incorporating renewable energy into the school curriculum, and 52% reported needing further training to teach these topics. Implications for research and practice: The findings highlight moderate overall levels of knowledge and positive sentiment toward renewables, with clear gains in both as education level rises. These results underscore the pivotal role of education in fostering environmental awareness and shaping attitudes toward sustainability. The study provides practical insights for integrating sustainability education in minority communities, particularly the importance of teacher training and age-appropriate curriculum, thereby aiding efforts to promote renewable energy adoption in culturally diverse contexts.