A comparison between Arab and Jewish preservice teachers’ knowledge levels, risk perceptions, and intentions to use renewable energy

Preparing future science teachers to teach about renewable energy has become a priority because schools are increasingly expected to support sustainable energy transitions. This study examined how knowledge of renewable energy, risk perceptions, and behavioural intentions are related among preservice science teachers, and whether these patterns differ between Arab and Jewish education students. The study drew on the Theory of Planned Behavior and the psychometric paradigm of risk perception. Participants were 120 preservice science teachers from colleges in northern Israel, including 60 Arab and 60 Jewish students. Data were collected through a renewable energy knowledge test, a risk perception scale with the dimensions of dread and unknown, and measures of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and intention. Analyses included reliability testing, correlational analysis, and between-group comparisons. Higher knowledge was positively associated with attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and intention, and negatively associated with dread and unknown risk perceptions. In turn, stronger dread and unknown perceptions were linked to less favourable attitudes, weaker perceived social support, lower perceived control, and reduced intention to use renewable energy. Contrary to expectations, no statistically significant differences were found between Arab and Jewish participants across the variables. The findings suggest that renewable energy teacher education should focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on reducing uncertainty and fear surrounding renewable energy technologies. Such preparation may strengthen future teachers’ capacity to integrate sustainability and energy literacy into science teaching across culturally diverse settings.