Awareness, Perceived Level of Knowledge, Safety Attitude, and Information Behavior on Nuclear Energy of High School Students

This study assessed awareness, knowledge, safety attitudes, and information behaviors regarding nuclear energy among 75 Filipino high school students (15 Grade 10, 39 Grade 11, 21 Grade 12) from a Region 3 science high school of Philippine DepEd. Findings revealed moderate self-rated knowledge (41.3% moderate, 54.6% not much), most frequent associations of nuclear energy with power generation (85.7%) and medical applications like radiation oncology (42.5%), cautious safety perceptions (61.2% relatively safe), strong endorsement of public acceptance (76.3% very important), and preferences for seminars (43.3%) and IAEA sources (53.3%). Spearman's correlations indicated positive links between knowledge and safety perceptions (r=.316, p<.01). Recommendations advocate curriculum integration, targeted interventions, and stratified future sampling to enhance scientific literacy amid Philippine nuclear policy debates.