Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait
This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior among occupant groups in academic buildings in Kuwait. It explores influential factors, focusing on the pandemic's effect on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to energy conservati...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-11-01
|
| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023086826 |
| _version_ | 1797429810896568320 |
|---|---|
| author | Majdi M. Alomari Hania EL-Kanj Ayse Topal Nafesah I. Alshdaifat |
| author_facet | Majdi M. Alomari Hania EL-Kanj Ayse Topal Nafesah I. Alshdaifat |
| author_sort | Majdi M. Alomari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior among occupant groups in academic buildings in Kuwait. It explores influential factors, focusing on the pandemic's effect on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to energy conservation. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Participants, including students, faculty, and staff, completed surveys, participated in questionnaires, focus groups, and took part in interviews. Statistical tests are used to validate the survey data, while thematic analysis is applied to the qualitative data. The findings of the research showed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on participants' attitudes, intentions, and behavior regarding energy literacy and conservation. Specifically, the student group experienced a significant increase in the relationship between their intentions and behavior, while the faculty group exhibited a strong correlation between intention and behavior. The study also found that education, awareness, personal motivation, values, religiosity, and culture were all crucial factors in promoting energy literacy and conservation behavior. The study recommends specific educational interventions, fostering a culture of conservation, providing access to information and resources, promoting community engagement, incorporating religiosity, and improving policies and infrastructure to enhance energy literacy in academic buildings. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of tailored educational interventions that consider the specific needs and challenges of different occupant groups and suggests incorporating religious perspectives to align with the cultural and religious context of the Kuwaiti population. The study's findings offer comprehensive insights into the impact of unforeseen events, such as pandemics, on energy literacy and conservation behavior. These insights have practical implications for policymaking and implementation. Future research could explore the effectiveness of various educational interventions and examine the role of social and cultural factors in shaping energy literacy and behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:19:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f673a4828d74e7d838d8cd6b7bb375b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:19:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f673a4828d74e7d838d8cd6b7bb375b2023-12-02T07:02:28ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-11-01911e21474Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of KuwaitMajdi M. Alomari0Hania EL-Kanj1Ayse Topal2Nafesah I. Alshdaifat3Electrical Engineering Department, Australian University (AU), Mishref, 40005, Kuwait; Corresponding author.Electrical Engineering Department, Australian University (AU), Mishref, 40005, KuwaitBusiness Department, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, 51240, TurkeyJoVision, Hamburg, 22083, GermanyThis study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior among occupant groups in academic buildings in Kuwait. It explores influential factors, focusing on the pandemic's effect on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to energy conservation. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Participants, including students, faculty, and staff, completed surveys, participated in questionnaires, focus groups, and took part in interviews. Statistical tests are used to validate the survey data, while thematic analysis is applied to the qualitative data. The findings of the research showed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on participants' attitudes, intentions, and behavior regarding energy literacy and conservation. Specifically, the student group experienced a significant increase in the relationship between their intentions and behavior, while the faculty group exhibited a strong correlation between intention and behavior. The study also found that education, awareness, personal motivation, values, religiosity, and culture were all crucial factors in promoting energy literacy and conservation behavior. The study recommends specific educational interventions, fostering a culture of conservation, providing access to information and resources, promoting community engagement, incorporating religiosity, and improving policies and infrastructure to enhance energy literacy in academic buildings. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of tailored educational interventions that consider the specific needs and challenges of different occupant groups and suggests incorporating religious perspectives to align with the cultural and religious context of the Kuwaiti population. The study's findings offer comprehensive insights into the impact of unforeseen events, such as pandemics, on energy literacy and conservation behavior. These insights have practical implications for policymaking and implementation. Future research could explore the effectiveness of various educational interventions and examine the role of social and cultural factors in shaping energy literacy and behavior.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023086826Energy literacyEnergy conservation behaviorKuwaiti university occupantsCOVID-19 pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Majdi M. Alomari Hania EL-Kanj Ayse Topal Nafesah I. Alshdaifat Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait Heliyon Energy literacy Energy conservation behavior Kuwaiti university occupants COVID-19 pandemic |
| title | Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait |
| title_full | Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait |
| title_short | Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of Kuwait |
| title_sort | exploring the impact of the covid 19 pandemic on energy literacy and conservation behavior in academic buildings of kuwait |
| topic | Energy literacy Energy conservation behavior Kuwaiti university occupants COVID-19 pandemic |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023086826 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT majdimalomari exploringtheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconenergyliteracyandconservationbehaviorinacademicbuildingsofkuwait AT haniaelkanj exploringtheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconenergyliteracyandconservationbehaviorinacademicbuildingsofkuwait AT aysetopal exploringtheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconenergyliteracyandconservationbehaviorinacademicbuildingsofkuwait AT nafesahialshdaifat exploringtheimpactofthecovid19pandemiconenergyliteracyandconservationbehaviorinacademicbuildingsofkuwait |