Aviation Case Based Learning for Energy Literacy: An Embedded Mixed Methods Study among Middle School Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33394/j-ps.v14i4.22264Keywords:
Aviation education, Case-based learning, Energy literacy, Evidence-based decision-making, Sustainability awarenessAbstract
This study investigated how aviation-based Case-Based Learning (CBL) relates to different dimensions associated with energy literacy development, including conceptual understanding, sustainability awareness, and evidence-based decision-making. Energy literacy is viewed as a multidimensional construct that integrates understanding of energy concepts, awareness of sustainability consequences, and the capacity to utilize evidence when making decisions. However, applying scientific knowledge to complex and authentic situations remains challenging for many students. An embedded mixed-methods design was conducted with 45 Grade VII and VIII students from an international school in Surabaya, Indonesia. The 180-minute intervention utilized an aviation fuel-efficiency scenario to explore students’ conceptual understanding, sustainability awareness, and decision-making processes. Quantitative results showed a statistically significant improvement in the conceptual dimension of energy literacy from pre-intervention to post-intervention assessment scores (Wilcoxon W = 105, p = .022); however, this result should be interpreted cautiously due to the substantial ceiling effect observed. Qualitative findings indicated that students used quantitative evidence to revise their initial interpretations and relate aviation energy decisions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nevertheless, students experienced difficulties in balancing efficiency, safety, and reserve-fuel considerations. Integrated findings revealed a knowledge–awareness–application mismatch, suggesting that strong conceptual understanding and sustainability awareness do not always translate into effective evidence-based decision-making. These findings suggest that aviation-based CBL may serve as a pilot-scale instructional approach for bridging conceptual knowledge and evidence-informed application.
References
Andriansyah, M., Yani, I., Budiana, S., Ardianto, D., & Pursitasari, I. D. (2025). Enhancing student sustainability awareness in science education: A systematic literature review. Unnes Science Education Journal, 14(2), 368–378. https://doi.org/10.15294/usej.v14i2.26543
Bazeley, P. (2024). Conceptualizing integration in mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 18(3), 225–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898241253636
Besche, H. C., King, R. W., Shafer, K. M., Fleet, S. E., Charles, J. F., Kaplan, T. B., Greenzang, K. A., Hoenig, M. P., Schwartzstein, R. M., Cockrill, B. A., & Fischer, K. (2025). Effective and engaging active learning in the medical school classroom: Lessons from case-based collaborative learning. Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development, 12. https://doi.org/10.1177/23821205251317149
Białynicki-Birula, P., Makieła, K., & Mamica, Ł. (2022). Energy literacy and its determinants among students within the context of public intervention in Poland. Energies, 15(15), Article 5368. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155368
Castañeda-Garza, G., Valerio-Ureña, G., & Herrera-Murillo, D. (2025). Energy literacy in Mexico. Science & Education, 34(6), 4761–4781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-025-00657-w
Dawson, V., & Venville, G. (2022). Testing a methodology for the development of socioscientific issues to enhance middle school students’ argumentation and reasoning. Research in Science & Technological Education, 40(4), 499–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2020.1830267
DeJonckheere, M., Vaughn, L. M., James, T. G., & Schondelmeyer, A. C. (2024). Qualitative thematic analysis in a mixed methods study: Guidelines and considerations for integration. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 18(3), 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898241257546
DeWaters, J. E., & Powers, S. E. (2011). Energy literacy of secondary students in New York State (USA): A measure of knowledge, affect, and behavior. Energy Policy, 39(3), 1699–1710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.12.049
Dewi, C. A., & Rahayu, S. (2023). Implementation of case-based learning in science education: A systematic review. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 20(4), 729–749. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2023.041
Dvir, M., & Tsybulsky, D. (2025). Facilitating the design and analysis of middle school students’ reasoning in the context of citizen science. Science & Education, 34(6), 4545–4581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-025-00637-0
Fàbregues, S., Younas, A., Escalante-Barrios, E. L., Molina-Azorin, J. F., & Vázquez-Miraz, P. (2024). Toward a framework for appraising the quality of integration in mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 18(3), 270–280. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898241257555
Ferrarelli, P., & Iocchi, L. (2021). Learning Newtonian physics through programming robot experiments. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 26(4), 789–824. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-021-09508-3
Fiel Peres, F. (2026). Effect sizes for nonparametric tests. Biochemia Medica, 36(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2026.010101
Garrocho-Rangel, A., Aranda-Romo, S., Martínez-Martínez, R., Zavala-Alonso, V., Flores-Arriaga, J. C., & Pozos-Guillén, A. (2024). Fundamentals of nonparametric statistical tests for dental clinical research. Dentistry Journal, 12(10), Article 314. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj12100314
Gormally, C., Brickman, P., & Lutz, M. (2012). Developing a test of scientific literacy skills (TOSLS): Measuring undergraduates’ evaluation of scientific information and arguments. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 11(4), 364–377. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.12-03-0026
Haynes-Brown, T. K., & Fetters, M. D. (2021). Using joint display as an analytic process: An illustration using bar graphs joint displays from a mixed methods study of how beliefs shape secondary school teachers’ use of technology. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406921993286
Heeren, A. J., Singh, A. S., Zwickle, A., Koontz, T. M., Slagle, K. M., & McCreery, A. C. (2016). Is sustainability knowledge half the battle? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 17(5), 613–632. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2015-0014
International Civil Aviation Organization. (2025). 2025 ICAO environmental report: Skyward action—Realizing aviation’s sustainable future. https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/envrep2025
Kania, N., Kusumah, Y. S., Dahlan, J. A., Nurlaelah, E., Gürbüz, F., & Bonyah, E. (2024). Constructing and providing content validity evidence through the Aiken’s V index based on the experts’ judgments of the instrument to measure mathematical problem-solving skills. REID (Research and Evaluation in Education), 10(1), 64–79. https://doi.org/10.21831/reid.v10i1.71032
Koçulu, A. (2025). Developing secondary school students’ sustainable living awareness to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability, 17(11), Article 4757. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114757
Muhyi, A., Windrawan, I. G., & Astra, I. M. (2024). Improving student’s creative thinking skills using the case based learning (CBL) model assisted by virtual laboratory media on optical materials. Jurnal Penelitian Pembelajaran Fisika, 15(3), 324–330. https://doi.org/10.26877/jp2f.v15i3.20470
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2023). A step-by-step process of thematic analysis to develop a conceptual model in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231205789
Nik Abdul Majid, N. A. M., Osman, K., & Tan, S. Y. (2025). Integrating energy literacy into science education: A comprehensive systematic review. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 14(2), 1253–1263. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v14i2.31873
Nissen, J. M., Talbot, R. M., Nasim Thompson, A., & Van Dusen, B. (2018). Comparison of normalized gain and Cohen’s d for analyzing gains on concept inventories. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 14(1), Article 010115. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.14.010115
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). PISA 2022 assessment and analytical framework. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/dfe0bf9c-en
Puspita, G. N., Widodo, A., Sriyati, S., Samsudin, A., & Zahran, M. (2026). Sustainability consciousness among junior high school students in the context of SDG2 zero hunger. Discover Sustainability, 7(1), Article 1121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-03449-6
Pyatt, K., & Coomes, J. (2012, June 8). Mathematically modeling aircraft fuel consumption. National Science Teaching Association. https://www.nsta.org/ncss-case-study/mathematically-modeling-aircraft-fuel-consumption
Raihan, A. (2025). Sustainable aviation: A critical review of policies, technologies, and future pathways. Journal of the Air Transport Research Society, 5, Article 100080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jatrs.2025.100080
Rudyshyn, S. D., Stakhova, I. A., Sharata, N. H., Berezovska, T. V., & Kravchenko, T. P. (2021). The effects of using a case study method for environmental education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 20(6), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.6.17
Santillán, O. S., & Cedano, K. G. (2023). Energy literacy: A systematic review of the scientific literature. Energies, 16(21), Article 7235. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16217235
Schober, P., & Vetter, T. R. (2020). Nonparametric statistical methods in medical research. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 131(6), 1862–1863. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000005101
Sunyono, Meristin, A., & Siti Marfu’ah. (2025). A case-based environmental wisdom learning design for developing nature of science and environmental awareness. Indonesian Journal of Educational Research and Review, 8(3), 592–604. https://doi.org/10.23887/ijerr.v8i3.99128
Tolppanen, S., Claudelin, A., & Kang, J. (2021). Pre-service teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of the impact of mitigative climate actions and their willingness to act. Research in Science Education, 51(6), 1629–1649. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-020-09921-1
United Nations. (2024). The sustainable development goals report 2024.
Usman, M., Suyanta, Pujianto, & Huda, K. (2021). Energy literacy of junior high school students in Indonesia: A preliminary study. In Proceedings of the 6th International Seminar on Science Education (ISSE 2020) (pp. 609–614). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210326.088
Varghese, A. F., & Chandrasenan, D. (2023). Energy literacy scale (ELS): Validated survey instrument to measure energy knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. In The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research: Greening energy to shape a sustainable future (pp. 793–800). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43559-1_75
Xiang, Y., Liu, D., Liu, L., Liu, I.-C., Wu, L., & Fan, H. (2025). Impact of case-based learning on critical thinking dispositions in Chinese nursing education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, Article 1452051. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2025.1452051
Zhang, L., Bian, L., Jiang, C., & Wu, L. (2025). A comprehensive framework for estimating aircraft fuel consumption based on flight trajectories. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 203, Article 104339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2025.104339
Zhou, R. (K.), Abedin, N. F. Z., & Paramasivam, S. (2022). SDGs knowledge and sustainability behaviour: A study of United Kingdom and Malaysian tertiary students. Asian Journal of University Education, 18(2), 430–440. https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v18i2.17997
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lucky Aryvitto Wijaya, Yusrif Ahmad Al Fikri, Aulia Risky Sani, Dhianti Putri Anggraini, Muhamad Arif Mahdiannur
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
