The Potential and Limitations of the Wadden Sea in University, School, and Out-Of-School Contexts From the Perspective of Biology Education

Abstract

This study explores the potential and the limitations of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea in terms of its relevance for teacher training in higher education and for teaching in schools and as an out-of-school place of learning. Interviews with experts from these three areas were conducted. The analysis was performed through qualitative content analysis. Within this framework, various factors were identified that should be considered in further biology didactics studies. The findings indicate that out-of-school learning receives too little emphasis in teacher education and that the Wadden Sea offers opportunities to address this deficit. In addition, clear limits were set for school lessons on this ecosystem in contrast to practical explorations of the Wadden Sea. Nevertheless, incorporating Wadden Sea content in the classroom makes sense since diverse topics can be vividly explored. Out-of-school learning at the Wadden Sea was found to have an immense potential in education for sustainable development and in environmental education. One obstacle is the students' reported disgust towards the Wadden Sea. Based on the results, conclusions are drawn for all three areas considered in this study, providing concrete implications for related studies with a focus on biological education on the Wadden Sea.

Out-of-School Learning in the Wadden Sea: The Influence of a Mudflat Hiking Tour on the Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Knowledge of Secondary School Students

“…The results for the first research question prove the positive influence of the mudflat hiking tour on the environmental attitudes of the students. The high potential of the Wadden Sea as an out-of-school learning site for environmental education [19] can be empirically proven for the first time. Preservation, or the preference for conservation, was significantly increased in both the short term and the long term.…”

“…Especially because out-of-school learning is often associated with high motivation [8], the potential influence of this factor on the identified relationships could be tested. With regard to the out-of-school learning site Wadden Sea, the possible influence of disgust on cognitive and affective factors should also be examined, as it seems to be significant for the experience of this UNESCO World Heritage Site [19].…”

“…Another ecosystem of great importance in Germany is the Wadden Sea. Despite its great potential for out-of-school learning in environmental education [19] as well as its international significance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the associated special suitability as a learning site [20], it has hardly been considered from an empirical-research perspective [21,22]. The present study addresses this research gap and determines the effects of an exploration of this ecosystem by secondary school students.…”