Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

The development of an attitude scale to assess the attitudes of high

school students towards renewable energy sources
Dilek Çelikler n, Zeynep Aksan
Department of Elementary Science Education, Faculty of Education, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

art ic l e i nf o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The aim of this study was to develop a scale that can assess the attitudes of high school students
Received 23 May 2015 regarding renewable energy sources. The study data were obtained from a total of 433 high school
Received in revised form students enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades of a high schools in a provincial capital in
2 August 2015
northern Turkey. The five-point Likert type scale with 48 items that was developed assessed the attitude
Accepted 20 October 2015
of high school students regarding renewable energy sources. To determine the construct validity of the
scale, a factor analysis was performed with the 48 items. Based on the factor analysis, eleven more items
Keywords: were removed from the scale, and the remaining 37 items were organized under seven dimensions. The
Renewable energy reliability coefficient of the obtained factors varied 0.704 and 0.913, while the internal consistency
High school students
coefficient for the 37-item scale was calculated as 0.753.
Scale development
& 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Attitude

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092
2. Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093
2.1. Development of a data collection tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093
3. Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093
3.1. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1093
3.2. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1096
4. Conclusion and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1097
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1098

1. Introduction
Energy is a critically important factor and input for all indus-
tries, as well as an indispensable component of daily life. Due to
the gradual increase in the worldwide demands for energy and the
rapid depletion of fossil fuels reserves, it is necessary to further
develop the use of renewable energy sources and to increase their
share in the overall energy consumption.
Nowadays, nearly 74% of the world's energy demand is met by
using fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal), while 6% is met
by using nuclear energy – both of which represent non-renewable
energy sources. The remaining 20% of the world energy demand is
n
Corresponding author. Tel.: þ 90 362 3121919/5857.
E-mail addresses: dilekc@omu.edu.tr, dilekcelikler@hotmail.com (D. Çelikler).
met by using renewable energy sources [1]. In this respect, the
current century is expected to be one of significant innovations,
advances, and developments in the use of renewable energy sour-
ces, which represent a clean and inexhaustible source [2].
Renewable energy sources are environment-friendly sources of
energy that are naturally renewed; they can hence be used con-
tinually without the risk of depletion [3]. In addition to the fact
they represent continuous and sustainable sources of energy,
renewable energy sources also have the advantage of being pre-
sent and accessible in every region and country of the world [4].
Renewable energy sources include solar energy, wind energy,
hydroelectric (hydropower) energy, geothermal energy, biomass,
wave energy, and hydrogen energy [3,5,6].
Nowadays, many countries allocate considerable sums from their
budgets to research that seek to resolve environmental problems and

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.049
1364-0321/& 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 D. Çelikler, Z. Aksan / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098
to leave a livable environment for future generations. However, a far
simpler approach against environmental problems would involve
raising individuals with greater environmental awareness [7]. In order
to raise individuals who are environmentally aware, and who con-
tribute to the well-being of their societies with their novel and inno-
vative ideas, measures should be taken to provide education regarding
the sources of environmental pollution and to instill positive attitudes
towards the environment.
Through much of their youth, humans take part in learning
processes that involve various educational and teaching activities.
All conscious behaviors demonstrated by the students within the
context of these learning processes are considered to be learning
products or outputs. As environmental problems are mainly
caused by humans' thoughtless and irresponsible behaviors and
attitudes towards the environment, these problems need to be
addressed through education. Education should be used as a mean
for informing individuals about environmental problems and
increasing their awareness about preventive measures [8]. For this
reason, the main purpose of environmental education should be to
raise responsible individuals who are sensitive towards environ-
mental issues [9].
It is important for individuals to be knowledgeable about the
characteristics and benefits of energy produced from renewable
energy sources. In this context, to ensure sustainable development
and allow future generations to achieve their own social growth
and development, these generations must be raised such that they
are aware and informed about renewable energy. To this end, the
aim of this study was to develop a scale for high school students
assessing their attitudes towards renewable energy. This devel-
oped scale will not only contribute to meeting the current need for
such a scale in the literature, but will also serve as a basis for
future studies on this subject.
2. Methodology
The study data were collected from a total of 433 high school
students enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades of a high
schools in a provincial capital in northern Turkey. Of the students
participating to the study, 23,6% (N ¼102) were enrolled in 9th
grade; 26.3% (N ¼ 114) were enrolled in 10th grade; 26.1% (N ¼113)
were enrolled in 11th grade; and 24.0% (N ¼104) were enrolled in
12th grade. It was noted that 71.1% (N ¼ 308) of the study partici-
pants were female, while 28.9% (N ¼125) were male.
2.1. Development of a data collection tool
Within the context of this study involving the development of
an attitude scale concerning renewable energy sources, we first
reviewed the relevant literature regarding the development of
attitude scales, and evaluated previous studies on attitude scales.
Based on the obtained data and information, 48 attitude items
were prepared regarding renewable energy sources, which were
then organized according to a scale format. The 48 items in the
draft scale were thus graded as “Strongly Agree”, “Agree”,
“Undecided”, “Disagree”, and “Strongly Disagree” based on a five-
point Likert-type scale format. In addition, a set of instructions
Table 1
Central tendency and distribution for the total item scores and Z scores.
Score N Mean Median Mode
Total score 433 152.76 153.00 145.00
Z score 433 .00 .01885  .6276
(Std. Error of Skewness: SES; Std. Error of Kurtosis: SEK).
1093
describing the purpose of the scale, the number of items it con-
tains, and the manner in which the scale items should be
answered were also written at the beginning of the scale. When
including positive and negative expressions in the scale, these
expressions were listed in a mixed and random sequence to avoid
influencing/guiding the answers of the respondents. The respon-
ses to the items with positive expressions were listed from 5 to 1,
starting with “Strongly Agree;” while the responses to the items
with negative expressions were listed from 1 to 5, starting with
“Strongly Agree.” These 48 items were then presented to specia-
lists for their evaluation and opinion. In addition, to avoid any
issues with the items or any content that might lead to their
misunderstanding, the items were also reviewed by two linguists.
Based on these examinations, a 48 item-scale consisting of 29
positive and 19 negative expressions was developed. After the
necessary changes were made in accordance with the recom-
mendations of the specialists, a pilot study was performed to
determine the construct validity and reliability of the scale. The
pilot study involved the collection and analysis of data. This pro-
cess included the visual control of the scale, the inversion of
negative expressions, the processing of lost values, the evaluation
of normality for total scores, and the determination of extreme
values by evaluating Kurtosis and Skewness. Through these data
collection and evaluation processes, the data were made ready for
further analysis.
The total score provided by the 48 items, as well as the central
tendency, kurtosis, and skewness of each item were all examined.
The total score of each item was determined, the normal dis-
tribution graphs of these items were evaluated, and the normal
distribution scores were converted into Z scores. It was deter-
mined that each item met the conditions for normal distribution,
while the Kurtosis and Skewness values were between  1 and
þ1. The extreme values of the data were controlled; and as the Z
score was between  3 and þ3, no extreme value was encoun-
tered. In addition, the range interval of the Z score was determined
as 4.606, while its standard deviation was 1. The total score of the
items, as well as the values of the total score following its con-
version into the Z score, are provided in Table 1.
3. Results
3.1. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)
To assess the construct validity of the scale, explanatory factor
analysis – a process which allows the identification of factors
based on the relations between variables – was employed. During
the factor analysis, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) coefficient and
Bartlett's test were first used to control whether the data were
suitable for factor analysis. A KMO coefficient of at least 0.60, and a
significant result/value obtained with Bartlett's test, are indicative
of the data's suitability for factor analysis [11].
Based on Bartlett's test performed to assess the suitability for
factor analysis of the data from the 48-item scale, the chi-square
statistic was significant, while the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO)
value was excellent. These two findings demonstrated the
Min Max Range SD Skewness SES Kurtosis SEK
125.00 182.00 57.00 12.374  .188 .117  .750 .234
 2.243 2.362 4.606 1.00  .188 .117  .750 .234
1094 D. Çelikler, Z. Aksan / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098
suitability of the data set for factor analysis. The KMO measure of
sampling and Bartlett's test results are provided in Table 2.
The generally held view is that in EFA, the item factor load
should be 0.30 or above. Scale development and adaptation stu-
dies recommend that item factor load values are at least 0.30 [12].
Based on factor analysis, we determined that items 7 and 48 had a
sub-factor value below 0.30; for this reason, these items were
removed from the scale. In addition, items 12 and 43 were iden-
tified as being cyclical, and factor analysis was repeated after these
items were removed from the scale. Based on the results of the
repeated factor analysis, items 10, 11, 14, 16, 45, 46 and 47 were
also removed from the scale.
In the factor analysis of the main components, seven factors
were identified with eigenvalues greater than 1.00. The total var-
iance accounted by these seven factors was 66.876%, while the
total variance accounted by each factor was 22.963%, 14.517%,
10.317%, 6.827%, 4.940%; 4.272%, and 3.040%. During the process of
identifying the number of factors, the total variance they accoun-
ted for was determined by taking into consideration the logical
structure relationships of the items. The graph of the eigenvalues
used to determine the number of factors is provided in Graph 1.
The main criterion for evaluating factor analysis results is the
factor load, which can be described as the correlation between the
variables and factors [13,14]. High factor loads are an indication
that the variable in question might be associated with the relevant
factor [11,15].
The factors were arranged in proximity of the line of the graph,
indicating that the contributions of the variances did not vary
significantly. Using the varimax and equimax techniques, which
are examples of rotation techniques suitable for use in social sci-
ences, it is possible to identify the items that have strong rela-
tionships with the factors. This, in turn, facilitates the grouping of
these items [10,16]. In this study, different rotation techniques
Table 2
Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling and the Bartlett's test results.
Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin (KMO) measure of sam- .833
pling adequacy
Bartlett's test approximate Chi-square value 12998.833 Sd ¼ 1128 p ¼.000
Graph 1. Graph of the eigenvalues.
were successively attempted, and the decision was made to use
the varimax rotation technique after it demonstrated the strongest
relationship between the items and the factors.
The items were distributed between seven different factors
with factor load values ranging between 0.553 and 0.896. The
factor values determined for the attitude scale items following the
use of the varimax rotation technique are shown in Table 3.
An evaluation of the items' contents indicated that the items
grouped under five different factors had good internal compat-
ibility with one another. This compatibility allowed the factors to
be named based on the content/subject of their respective items;
each factor was named accordingly.
According to Table 5, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth
and seventh factors each consisted of 8, 3, 9, 5, 5, 4 and 2 items,
respectively. The factors were named by first evaluating the con-
tent/subject of their items. An evaluation of the expressions in the
items of the first factor revealed that this factor mainly addressed
the effects of using renewable energy sources on the environment.
Hence, this factor was labeled the “Effects on the Environment.”
An evaluation of the expressions in the items of the second factor
revealed that this factor mainly addressed the effects of using
renewable energy sources on the Living Creatures. Hence, this
factor was labeled the “Effects on the Living Creatures.” An eva-
luation of the expressions in the items of the third factor revealed
that this factor was associated with energy sources and their
relevant areas of use. Hence, this factor was labeled the “Energy
Sources and Their Area of Use.”
The expressions in the items of the fourth factor were identi-
fied as being associated with education. The fourth factor was
hence labeled “Education.” The expressions in the items of the
fifth, sixth and seventh factors were identified as being associated
with the economy security and media, respectively. The fourth and
fifth factors were hence labeled “Economy” “Safety” and “Media,”
respectively.
Following factor analysis, reliability and distinctiveness eva-
luations were performed in order to carry out an item analysis
suitable for the factor structure formed by the remaining items of
the scale. We evaluated the total correlation for each remaining
item of the scale. The independent t-test was performed for the
Table 3
The factor values of the attitude scale items following Varimax rotation.

Factor Names Items No Items Factors

h2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Effects on the Environment 30 Renewable energy sources are environmentally friendly. .847 .896
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının çevre dostu olduğunu düşünüyorum.)
32 The use of renewable energy sources will reduce global warming. .766 .845
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının küresel ısınmayı azaltacağını düşünüyorum.)
18 The use of renewable energy sources will not reduce environmental pollution. .705 .804
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanımı ile çevre kirliliğinin azalacağını düşünmüyorum.)
29 The use of renewable energy sources will not reduce the greenhouse effect. .691 .790
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının sera etkisini azaltacağını düşünmüyorum.)
1 Power plants that use renewable energy sources have harmful effects on the environment. .650 .718

D. Çelikler, Z. Aksan / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098

(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanan santrallerin çevreye ciddi zararları olduğunu düşünüyorum.)
33 The use of renewable energy sources will not reduce air pollution. .626 .674
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının hava kirliğini azaltacağını düşünmüyorum.)
2 The use of renewable energy sources will reduce the depletion of the ozone layer. .746 .600
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının ozon tabakasındaki incelmeyi azaltacağını düşünüyorum.)
9 The use of renewable energy sources will not reduce the occurrence of acid rains. .540 .570
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının asit yağmurlarını azaltacağını düşünmüyorum.)
Effects on the Living Creatures 22 I am concerned about the negative effects the use of renewable energy sources might have on the living creatures. .726 .802
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının canlılara olumsuz etkileri beni korkutuyor.)
23 I am not knowledge about the harmful effects that renewable energy sources might have on living creatures. .689 .766
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının canlılara ne gibi zararları olabileceğini bilmiyorum.)
15 Power plants that use renewable energy sources do not have harmful effects on living creatures. .625 .675
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanan santrallerin canlılara zarar verebileceğini düşünmüyorum.)
Energy Sources and their Area of Use 35 Energy should not be produced from waste .771 .843
(Atıklardan enerji elde etme fikrine inanmıyorum.)
20 The use of renewable energy sources is increasing across the world. .729 .816
(Dünyada Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanımının arttığını düşünüyorum.)
31 The use of renewable energy sources will help solve the world's energy demand. .706 .797
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanılmasının dünyanın enerji ihtiyacına çözüm olabileceğini düşünüyorum.)
13 The use of renewable energy sources should be promoted .733 .794
(Yenilenebilir kaynaklarının kullanılmasının teşvik edilmesi gerektiğini düşünüyorum.)
17 Energy cannot be produced from energy resources such as the sun and water. .706 .793
(Güneş ve su gibi enerji kaynaklarından enerji üretileceğine inanmıyorum.)
41 Renewable energy sources are not being sufficiently utilized across the world .641 .763
(Dünyada Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarından yeterince yararlanıldığını düşünmüyorum.)
24 The energy produced by nuclear power plants is not a form of renewable energy .631 .743
(Nükleer santrallerden elde edilen enerjinin yenilenebilir enerji olduğunu düşünmüyorum.)
44 It is necessary to build power plants which use renewable energy sources .635 .708
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanan enerji santrallerinin kurulması gerektiğini düşünüyorum.)
36 I support the use of hydrogen as a fuel in vehicles. .508 .569
(Hidrojen yakıtının araçlarda yakıt olarak kullanılmasını destekliyorum.)
Education 40 It is important to provide education in schools regarding renewable energy sources. .763 .832
(Okullarda yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları ile ilgili eğitim verilmesinin önemli olduğunu düşünüyorum.)
38 I am not sufficiently knowledgeable about renewable energy sources .736 .804
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları konusunda yeterli bilgiye sahip olmadığımı düşünüyorum.)
39 Society's level of awareness regarding renewable energy sources should be increased. .621 .735
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları hakkında insanların bilinçlendirilmesi gerektiğine inanıyorum.)
37 In general, people are not sufficiently knowledgeable about renewable energy sources. .660 .729
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları konusunda insanların yeterli bilgiye sahip olmadığını düşünüyorum.)
34 In classes, more emphasis must be placed on the subject of renewable energy sources. .630 .600
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları konusunun derslerde daha fazla yer verilmesi gerektiğini düşünüyorum.)
19 I believe it is necessary to organize various educational programs in schools regarding the importance of renewable .599 .553
energy sources.
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının önemi ile ilgili okullarda çeşitli eğitim projelerinin yapılması gerektiğine inanıyorum.)

1095
Economy 27 The use of renewable energy sources will contribute to the country's economy. .764 .774
1096 D. Çelikler, Z. Aksan / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098

27% sub-group and 27% upper-group distinctiveness of the scale

.655
.722
7
items. With the t-test, we determined the mean scores of the sub-

.840

.686
.703

.631
and upper-groups for each item. Analyses based on a p value
6

of.001 were performed to determine the level distinctiveness of

.629

.603

.493
.730

the items. The analysis results for the items that remained fol-
5

lowing factor analysis are provided in Table 4.

According to Table 4, the item total correlation value of all
4

items in all factors is greater than 0.30. The correlation value of the
3

items varies between 0.323 and 0.571. The distinctiveness values

of the items indicate that all items exhibit statistically significant
2

differences with a p values o .001.

A correlation-based item analysis was performed for each item
1
Factors

on the scale by subtracting the score of the relevant items from the
.648
.552

.699

.686

.652

.534
.722

.725
.381
.701
h2

given score and the total score of the items. In the correlation
The construction of power plants using renewable energy sources is not less costly than the construction of other

analysis, an r value smaller than 0.30 (r o0.30) indicated a weak

(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanan santrallerin diğer santrallere göre daha az tehlikeli olduğunu düşünüyorum.)

(Medyada yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları ile ilgili haber ve programların yapılmasının önemli olduğunu düşünüyorum.)
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanan santrallerin diğer santrallere göre daha güvenli olduğunu düşünüyorum.)
(Yenilenebilir enerji santrallerinin kurulmasının diğer santrallere göre daha az maliyetli olduğunu düşünmüyorum.)

correlation for the relevant item, while an r value between 0.30

The investments currently being made for promoting the use of renewable energy sources are not sufficient.

and 0.70 (0.30 rr r0.70) indicated a moderate level correlation

I would not like to see a power plant using renewable energy sources built in the location where I live.

for the variables, and an r value greater than 0.70 (r 40.70) indi-
It is important for the media to broadcast news and programs regarding renewable energy sources.
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarıyla elde edilen enerjinin ucuz olmasının önemli olduğunu düşünüyorum.)

(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları ile ilgili medyada yeterli haber ve program yapılmadığını düşünüyorum.) cated a good correlation [10,11].
Power plants using renewable energy sources are less dangerous than other types of power plants.

(Yenilenebilir enerji santrallerinin dünyayı tehdit eden problemlere neden olmayacağını düşünüyorum.)
I believe that renewable energy power plants will not lead to problems that endanger the world.
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanmaya yönelik yeterince yatırımın yapıldığını düşünmüyorum.)
(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının kullanımının ülke ekonomisine katkı sağlayacağını düşünüyorum.)

We evaluated the correlation between the scale sub-factors,

There are not sufficient news and programs on the media regarding renewable energy sources.

and performed analyses for calculating the Cronbach's Alpha and

(Yaşadığım yerde yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarını kullanan bir santralin olmasını istemezdim.)

Spearman Brown two half-reliability test correlation in order to

Power plants using renewable energy sources are safer than other types of power plants.

determine the reliability of the scale scores. The results of this

(Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarıyla elde edilen enerjinin ucuz olduğunu düşünmüyorum.)

analysis are provided in Table 5.

It is important for energy produced from renewable energy sources to be cheap.

The alpha reliability value for the overall scale was determined
as 0.753. The alpha reliabilities of the first, second, third, fourth,
fifth, sixth and seventh factors were calculated as 0.895, 0.798,
0.913, 0.873, 0.775, 0.791 and 0.704, respectively. These values
indicated that scale performed reliable assessments.
Energy produced from renewable energy sources is not cheap.

The Spearman Brown Two Half-Test Correlation value of the

scale was 0.848. The Spearman Brown Two Half-Test Correlation
values of the scale and sub-scales were all above 0.70; hence, they
were all reliable. In the study, we then evaluated the correlation
between the scale score and the scale sub-factors; the results of
this analysis are provided in Table 6.
As shown in Table 6, the factors/dimensions within the scale
displayed significant relations (p o.01) between one another,
while the total score of the attitude scale displayed significant
relations (p o.01) with all of the sub-scales.
types of power plants.

3.2. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)

To evaluate the structural validity of the scale developed

based on the model obtained following exploratory factor ana-
lysis, confirmatory factor analysis was performed using the AMOS
Items No Items

21 statistical program. In this analysis; the χ2/df Chi-square/

Degree of freedom, the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation
(RMSEA), the Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR),
the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), the Adjusted Goodness of Fit
21

26

25

28

42

Index (AGFI), the Normed Fit Index (NFI), and the Comparative Fit
Index (CFI) were used as the model's fit indices, and their values
were compared with the values identified and described in the
literature.
An evaluation of the fit index values obtained with the con-
firmatory factor analysis indicates that the obtained chi-square
value was χ2/df ¼ 4.63; with a p-value of.00, this chi-square value
Table 3 (continued )

was significant. Based on the fit index values, it was also deter-

Factor Names

mined that AGFI¼ 0.678 and GFI ¼0.722, and that NFI ¼ 0.700 and
CFI¼0.747. The RMSEA value was determined as 0.09.
Media
Safety

The model obtained based on the confirmatory factor analysis

is provided in Fig. 1.
 D. Çelikler, Z. Aksan / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098 1097

Table 4
The analysis results for the items that remained following factor analysis.

Factor's Name Item Item-Total Correlation Mean t p

No (r)
Cronbach's Alpha (α) X % 27 Sub-Group % 27 Upper-Group
(N ¼ 128) (N ¼129)

Effects on the Environment (α.895) 30 .306 3.02 2.95 3.06  1.173 .000***
32 .384 3.01 2.98 3.06  .854 .000***
18 .382 2.99 2.95 3.00  .568 .000***
29 .314 3.09 2.91 3.26  4.588 .000***
1 .387 2.90 2.84 2.85  .092 .000***
33 .426 3.03 2.70 3.29  7.186 .000***
2 .339 2.68 2.32 2.85  4.344 .000***
9 .304 2.97 2.80 3.03  2.729 .000***
Effects on the Living Creatures (α.778) 22 .387 3.50 3.10 3.98  9.447 .000***
23 .309 3.44 3.14 3.83  7.254 .000***
15 .435 3.33 2.74 3.95  12.062 .000***
Energy Sources and their Area of Use 35 .302 2.90 2.77 3.05  2.932 .000***
(α.913) 20 .305 2.88 2.78 3.00  2.402 .000***
31 .439 2.73 2.23 3.16  9.626 .000***
13 .358 2.89 2.77 3.01  2.470 .000***
17 .386 2.98 2.84 3.12  3.068 .000***
41 .359 2.84 2.75 2.95  2.464 .000***
24 .333 2.86 2.73 2.93  2.102 .000***
44 .388 2.84 2.77 2.87  1.020 .000***
36 .309 2.90 2.56 3.16  4.811 .000***
Education (α.873) 40 .345 3.42 3.09 3.84  8.014 .000***
38 .309 3.50 3.23 3.84  6.608 .000***
39 .414 3.65 3.14 4.14  9.351 .000***
37 .427 3.53 3.07 4.05  11.402 .000***
34 .400 3.61 3.13 4.09  10.826 .000***
19 .388 3.55 3.13 4.03  10.059 .000***
Economy (α.775) 27 .318 3.51 3.16 3.94  7.852 .000***
21 .313 3.33 3.13 3.77  5.866 .000***
26 .361 3.42 3.03 3.86 -9.191 .000***
25 .426 3.27 2.66 3.76  10.171 .000***
28 .306 3.40 3.13 3.74  6.334 .000***
Safety (α.791) 5 .334 3.50 3.10 3.84  7.113 .000***
3 .301 3.42 3.08 3.63  5.035 .000***
6 .589 3.09 2.16 3.82  13.626 .000***
4 .303 3.33 2.99 3.63  6.184 .000***
Media (α.704) 42 .543 3.38 2.63 3.95  11.793 .000***
8 .482 2.72 2.14 3.14  10.547 .000***

***
p o .001.

4. Conclusion and recommendations Table 5

Reliability of the scale scores.
In this study, an attitude scale was developed to assess the
Scale and Factors Cronbach's Alpha Spearman Brown Two
attitudes of high school students regarding renewable energy (α) Half-Reliability Test
sources. The developed scale was a five-point Likert-type scale.
Answers for the positive items of the scale were listed from 5 to 1, F1: Effects on the .895 .824
Environment
starting with “Strongly Agree” and ending with “Strong Disagree;” F2: Effects on the Living .798 .703
while the answers for the negative items of the scale were listed Creatures
from 1 to 5, starting with “Strongly Disagree” and ending with F3: Energy Sources and their .913 .914
Area of Use
“Strong Agree.” Within the scope of the study, the scale was then
F4: Education .873 .823
evaluated within the participation of 433 high school students. F5: Economy .775 .780
The scale assessed the attitudes of high school students towards F6: Safety .791 .850
renewable energy sources with 48 items. F7: Media .704 .707
Attitude Scale .753 .848
The validity of the scale was tested using EFA, CFA, and upper/
lower group distinctiveness. The reliability of the scale, on the
other hand, was evaluated by calculating the Cronbach's Alpha Living Creatures,” “Energy Sources and Their Area of Use,” “Edu-
reliability coefficients of the subscales and the overall scale, the cation,” “Economy,” “Safety” and “Media”.
correlation coefficients between the subscales, and the test–retest The reliability coefficient of these factors varied between 0.704
correlation coefficients. and 0.913, while the overall internal consistency coefficient of the
To determine the construct validity of the scale, factor analysis 37-item scale was calculated as 0.753.
was performed on the 48 items. Based on this factor analysis, Considering that energy, an indispensable component of
eleven more items were removed from the scale, and the everyday life, will determine the future of this world and
remaining 37 items were grouped under seven factors. These humanity, and considering that the energy policies of societies are
factors were labeled “Effects on the Environment,” “Effects on the directly affected by their educational system, the significance of
1098 D. Çelikler, Z. Aksan / Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 54 (2016) 1092–1098

Table 6
Analysis of the correlation between the scale score and the scale sub-factors.

Scale-Factors F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 Scale X ss

F1: Effects on the Environment 1 .056* .333* .251* .286* .134* .303* .269* 25.8106 5.74667
F2: Effects on the Living Creatures 1 .135* .193* .072* .169* .277* .266* 23.6882 4.38139
F3: Energy Sources and their Area of Use 1 .502* .490* .283* .248* .488* 21.2656 3.97342
F4: Education 1 .366* .412* .179* .443* 10.2748 2.20390
F5: Economy 1 .262* .278* .454* 16.9261 3.16873
F6: Safety 1 .354* .482* 13.3487 2.95817
F7: Media 1 .611* 6.0924 1.62895
Attitude Scale 1 152.7667 12.37432

*
p o 0.01.

become the adults of tomorrow) concerning this crucial subject

that has an effect on the whole world.
In conclusion, we believe that the scale developed within the
context of this study can be effectively used by researchers willing
to study and assess the attitudes of high school students regarding
renewable energy sources. In addition, the developed scale can
also serve as a reference for similar studies on the development of
scales.

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Fig. 1. The model obtained based on the confirmatory factor analysis.
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the current study can easily be understood. In this context, it is

important to determine the attitudes of the youth (who will