Evaluating Ocean Literacy of Elementary School Students: Preliminary Results of a Cross-Cultural Study in the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

A good understanding of the role and function of the ocean seems to be of paramount importance in recent years, constituting the basic tool for the promotion of healthy and sustainable marine environment, and a target area of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this study, the content knowledge of elementary school students (grades 3-6) in regards to ocean sciences issues was examined. A structured questionnaire was administered to 1004 students participating in a cross-cultural study from three Mediterranean countries (Italy, Croatia, and Greece). The results of the study indicated a rather moderate level of knowledge in the total sample, while slight differences were recorded among the three countries revealing common knowledge gains and misconceptions. Rasch analysis was applied to further evaluate the validity of the results, while the influence of certain demographics on students' knowledge level was also investigated. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications on national curriculum development in elementary education level, in order to promote ocean literacy and to ensure protection and conservation of the Mediterranean Sea.

Investigating the Need for Ocean Literacy in the Indonesian Science Classroom

“…The results of the measurement of ocean literacy of 60 students tell us that even though they live on the coast, their ocean literacy is still in the moderate category. These results are the same as the research conducted by Mogias on Elementary School students [25]. Based on the study of ocean literacy in terms of gender, it is known that the average score of male students not much different from female students (see Figure 1).…”

“…Recent studies also state that the community's ocean literacy is still in the low and medium category. Plankis found that the ocean literacy of K-12 students in America is still low [21], Guest found that youth in Canada has low ocean content knowledge [23], and Mogias found that the ability of Greek Pre-service teachers and Elementary Students from the Mediterranean region has moderate ocean content knowledge [24], [25].…”

The Beginning of Marine Sustainability: Preliminary Results of Measuring Students’ Marine Knowledge and Ocean Literacy

“…From a scientific aspect, official education systems and place-based courses on geology, chemistry, and biology have included the discussion and development of teaching strategies for ocean literacy [47][48][49]. In Italy, Croatia, and Greece, where 65% of the population live by the Mediterranean Sea, children in grades 3-6 have an intermediate level of knowledge of marine science and most often acquire it through knowledge of the oceans in coastal areas, environmental activities in schools, and television documentaries [50].…”

Connecting to the oceans: supporting ocean literacy and public engagement

“…Aichi Target 11). An aim to increase global ocean literacy (and stewardship) demands improving social engagement with ocean issues (Mogias et al 2019 ) and enhancing community connections to the ocean (Schuldt et al 2016 ).…”

“…Ocean literacy is an understanding of the ocean’s influence on society and the society’s influence on the ocean (Schoedinger et al 2010 ; Fauville et al 2019 ). An ocean literate individual understands fundamental concepts about ocean functioning, is able to discuss ocean issues in meaningful ways, and is also capable of making informed and responsible decisions in regards to the ocean and its resources (Cava et al 2005; Fauville et al 2019 ; Mogias et al 2019 ). Ocean literacy is a broader expansion of the traditional notion of ‘literacy’ (UNESCO 2006 ) and is based on seven key principles (see Box 1 ).…”