The landscape of renewable energy awareness: Cognitive, affective, conative, and reflective analysis as a foundation for strengthening sustainable energy literacy

This study aims to describe the level of renewable energy awareness of pre-service physics teachers based on four domains, namely cognitive, affective, conative, and reflective, and to analyze the influence of demographic factors on it. Using a quantitative descriptive method with 115 respondents and a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (α = 0.89), the data were analyzed descriptively and through a two-way ANOVA test. The results showed that the level of renewable energy awareness was in the high category with an overall average of 3.99; cognitive (3.99), affective (3.97), conative (3.98), and reflective (4.00). Gender and year of study significantly influenced cognitive, conative, and reflective awareness, while residential location had no effect. These findings suggest that physics instruction emphasizing contextual projects and self-reflection can strengthen sustainable energy literacy. This study recommends the development of a mixed-method approach and project-based learning for clean energy to deepen pre-service physics teachers’ understanding and reflective awareness.