Can Green Building Science Support Systems Thinking for Energy Education?

Laura B. Cole (), Jessica Justice, Delaney O’Brien, Jayedi Aman, Jong Bum Kim, Aysegul Akturk and Laura Zangori
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Laura B. Cole: Department of Design & Merchandising, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Jessica Justice: Department of Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Delaney O’Brien: Department of Design & Merchandising, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Jayedi Aman: Department of Architectural Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Jong Bum Kim: Department of Architectural Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Aysegul Akturk: Department of Architecture, Gebze Technical University, 41400 Kocaeli, Turkey
Laura Zangori: Department of Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-37

Abstract: Systems thinking (ST) is a foundational cognitive skillset to advance sustainability education but has not been well examined for learners prior to higher education. This case study research in rural middle schools in the Midwestern U.S. examines systems thinking outcomes of a place-based energy literacy unit focused on energy-efficient building design. The unit employs the science of energy-efficient, green buildings to illuminate the ways in which energy flows between natural and built environments. The unit emphasized electrical, light, and thermal energy systems and the ways these systems interact to create functional and energy-efficient buildings. This study focuses on three case study classrooms where students across schools ( n = 89 students) created systems models as part of pre- and post-unit tests ( n = 162 models). The unit tests consisted of student drawings, annotations, and writings, culminating into student-developed systems models. Growth from pre- to post-test was observed in both the identification of system elements and the linkages between elements. System elements included in the models were common classroom features, such as windows, lights, and temperature control, suggesting that rooting the unit in place-based teaching may support ST skills.

Keywords: systems modeling; systems thinking; green building education; energy education; place-based education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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