Ocean Literacy across the Mediterranean Sea basin: Evaluating Middle School Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour towards Ocean Sciences Issues


Published: Mar 31, 2022
Keywords:
Ocean Literacy cross-national study content knowledge environmental attitudes environmental behaviour middle school students environmental education Mediterranean region.
PANAYOTA KOULOURI
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3418-7980
ATHANASIOS MOGIAS
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6673-7660
MELITA MOKOS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9152-4971
MARIA CHEIMONOPOULOU
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2933-3285
GIULIA REALDON
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8269-4269
THEODORA BOUBONARI
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2572-3187
MONICA PREVIATI
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4703-0181
ALBA TOJEIRO FORMOSO
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4249-1138
AHMET ERKAN KIDEYS
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1113-2434
MOHAMED ALY HASSAAN
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8513-5304
PATRIZIA PATTI
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4320-0075
KOSTAS KORFIATIS
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0297-6499
SANDRA FABRI
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3870-0729
XAVIER JUAN
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5870-8146
Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea is characterized by rich biodiversity, and its region hosts people living in several countries with a rich variety of cultures, but – at the same time – it is “under siege”, due to anthropogenic pressures. To address these pressures, many actions are needed aiming, among others, at establishing Ocean Literacy (OL) across the Mediterranean countries and preparing the future generation of Mediterranean Sea-literate citizens. Towards this aim, the present cross-national study investigated OL issues in relation to content knowledge, possible common misconceptions, attitudes, and the self-reported behavior of 2,533 middle school students from eight Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, and Turkey), as well as certain background elements (e.g., gender, grade level, environmental education experience, sources of relevant information). The results of this study revealed that middle school students of all studied countries possess a moderate level of ocean sciences content knowledge, while they showed satisfactory pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. These findings along with further research are expected to function as a baseline for the design, implementation, and launch of specifically targeted programs, educational activities, teaching resources, curricula, and school textbooks, which will be achieved through close collaboration between schools, universities, research institutes, and Ministries of Education, thus contributing to the future protection and sustainable development of the Mediterranean Sea region.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Special Issue Ocean Literacy
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Ashley, M., Pahl, S., Glegg, G., Fletcher, S., 2019. A Change of Mind: Applying Social and Behavioral Research Methods to the Assessment of the Effectiveness of Ocean Literacy Initiatives. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 288.
Ballantyne, R., 2004. Young students’ conceptions of the marine environment and their role in the development of aquaria exhibits. GeoJournal, 60, 159-163.
Ben-zvi-Assaraf, O., Orion, O., 2005. A Study of Junior High Students’ Perceptions of the Water Cycle. Journal of Geoscience Education, 53 (4), 366-373.
Borja, A., Santoro, F., Scowcroft, G., Fletcher, S., Strosser, P., 2020. Editorial: Connecting People to Their Oceans: Issues and Options for Effective Ocean Literacy. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 837. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/ 10.3389/fmars.2019.00837
Boubonari, T., Markos, A., Kevrekidis, T., 2013. Greek Pre-Service Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Environmental Behavior Toward Marine Pollution. The Journal of Environmental Education, 44 (4), 232-251. https://doi.org/10.10 80/00958964.2013.785381
Brennan, C., Ashley, M., Molloy, O., 2019. A system dynamics approach to increasing Ocean Literacy. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 360. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00360
Brody, M., 1996. An assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade students’ environmental science knowledge related to Oregon’s marine resources. Journal of Environmental Education, 27, 21-27.
Carey, S., 2000. Science Education as Conceptual Change. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 21 (1), 13-19.
Cava, F., Schoedinger, S., Strang, C., Tuddenham, P., 2005. Science content and standards for ocean literacy: A report on ocean literacy. Available online: http://oceanliteracy. ca/wp-content/uploads/Science-Content-and-Standards- of-Ocean-Literacy.pdf (Accessed 09 March 2021).
Chang, C-C., 2019. Development of Ocean Literacy Inventory for 16- to 18-Year-Old Students. SAGE Open, 9, 1-15.
Cheimonopoulou, M.Th., Mogias, A., Realdon, G., Mokos, M., Koulouri, P. et al., 2019a. Mediterranean Middle School Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours Towards Ocean-related Topics: An EMSEA-Med Pilot Study. p. 7. In: 7th European Marine Science Educators Association Conference, 16-20 September 2019, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. (Viewed 09 March 2021, http://www.emsea.eu/ editor_upload/File/EMSEA%202019%20Boa.pdf)
Cheimonopoulou, M.Th., Realdon, G., Mogias, A., Koulouri, P., Mokos, M. et al., 2019b. Ocean Literacy Intervention Activities: A Case Study from a European Maritime Day Event (EMD) in Mainland Greece. p. 24. In: 7th European Marine Science Educators Association Conference, 16-20 September 2019, Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. (Viewed 09 March 2021, http://www.emsea.eu/editor_upload/File/ EMSEA%202019%20Boa.pdf)
Coll, M., Piroddi, C., Albouy, C., Ben Rais Lasram, F., Cheung, W.W.L. et al., 2012. The Mediterranean Sea under siege: spatial overlap between marine biodiversity, cumulative threats and marine reserves. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 4, 465-480.
Costa, S., Caldeira, R., 2018. Bibliometric analysis of ocean literacy: an underrated term in the scientific literature. Marine Policy, 87, 149-157.
Cuttelod, A., García, N., Abdul Malak, D., Temple, H., Katariya, V., 2008. The Mediterranean: a biodiversity hotspot under threat. p. 89-101. In Vié, J.-C., Hilton-Taylor C., Stuart S.N. (Eds), Wildlife in changing world. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
Diaz, S., Settele, J., Brondízio, E.S., Ngo, H.T., Guèze, M. et al. (Eds.), 2019. IPBES, 2019. Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany, 56 pp.
Donert, K., Fauville, G., Gotensparre, S., Mäkitalo, Å., Van Medegael, L. et al., 2015. Review of marine formal education. In: EU Sea Change Project. Available online at http:// www.seachangeproject.eu (Accessed 09 March 2021).
Driver, R., Guesne, E., Tiberghien, A., 1985. Children’s ideas in science. Open University Press, Milton Keynes, UK, 202 pp.
Dupont, S., Fauville, G., 2017. Ocean literacy as a key toward sustainable development and ocean governance. p. 519- 537. In: Handbook on the Economics and Management of Sustainable Oceans. Nunes, P., Svensson, L.E., Markandya, A. (Eds.) Edward Elgar Publishers & UNEP, Cheltenham, UK.
Eisler, A.D., Eisler, H., Yoshida, M., 2003. Perceptions of human ecology: Cross-cultural and gender comparisons. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23, 89-101.
Fauville, G., Strang, C., Cannady, M. A., Chen, Y-F., 2018. Development of the international ocean literacy survey: measuring knowledge across the world. Environmental Education Research, 25, 238-263.
Feller, R.J., 2007. 110 misconceptions about the ocean. Oceanography, 20, 170-173. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog. 2007.22
Francek, M., 2013. A Compilation and Review of over 500 Geoscience Misconceptions. International Journal of Science Education, 35 (1), 31-64.
Goris, T.V., Dyrenfurth, M.J., 2010. Students’ Misconceptions in Science, Technology and Engineering. In: ASEE Illinois/ Indiana Section Conference proceeding, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 10 April 2010. (Viewed 09 March 2021, http://ilin.asee.org/Conference2010/Papers2010.html
Gough, A., 2017. Educating for the marine environment: challenges for schools and scientists. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 124, 633-638.
Guest, H., Lotze, H.K., Wallace, D., 2015. Youth and the sea: Ocean literacy in Nova Scotia, Canada. Marine Policy, 58, 98-107.
Hartley, B., Thompson, R.C., Pahl, S., 2015. Marine litter education boosts children’s understanding and self-reported actions. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 90, 209-217. (Accessed 09 March 2021).
Henriques, L., 2000. Children’s misconceptions about weather: a review of the literature. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA, 29 April 2000. (Viewed 09 March 2021, https://web.csulb.edu/~lhenriqu/NARST2000. htm)
Hynes, S., Norton, D., Corless, R., 2014. Investigating societal attitudes towards the marine environment of Ireland. Marine Policy, 47, 57-65.
Hsu, S-J., Roth R.E., 1998. An Assessment of Environmental Literacy and Analysis of Predictors of Responsible Environmental Behaviour Held by Secondary Teachers in the Hualien Area of Taiwan. Environmental Education Research, 4, 229-249.
Jones, C., 2010. Exploring new ways of assessing the effect of regulation on environmental management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 18 (13), 1229-1250.
Kahn Jr., P.H., Lourenco, O., 2002. Water, air, fire, and earth: a developmental study in Portugal of environmental moral reasoning. Environment and Behavior, 34, 405-430.
Klöckner C.A., 2013. A comprehensive model of the psychology of environmental behaviour—A meta-analysis. Global Environmental Change, 23, 1028-1038.
Kopke, K., Black, J., Dozier, A., 2019. Stepping Out of the Ivory Tower for Ocean Literacy. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 60.
Lee, Y-H., 2019. Ocean Cultural Heritage and Ocean Literacy Programs in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Journal of Ocean & Culture, 2, 136-146.
Leitão, R., Maguire, M., Turner, S., Guimarães, L., Arenas, F., 2018. Ocean Literacy and information sources: comparison between pupils in Portugal and the UK. p. 5058-5067. Proceedings of INTED2018 Conference, Valencia, 5-7 March 2018, Spain. (Viewed 09 March 2021, https://library.iated. org/view/LEITAO2018OCE).
Lin, Y-L., Wu, L-Y., Tsai, L-T., Chang, C-C., 2020. The Beginning of Marine Sustainability: Preliminary Results of Measuring Students’ Marine Knowledge and Ocean Literacy. Sustainability, 12, 7115.
Lotze, H.K., Guest, H., O’Leary, J., Tuda, A., Wallace, D., 2018. Public perceptions of marine threats and protection from around the world. Oceanic and Coastal Management, 152, 14-22.
Martin A.J., Durksen, T.L., Williamson, D., Kiss, J., Ginns P., 2016.The Role of a Museum-Based Science Education Program in Promoting Content Knowledge and Science Motivation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 53, 1364-1384.
McKinley, E., Burdon, D., 2020. Understanding ocean literacy and ocean climate-related behaviour change in the UK: An Evidence Synthesis. Final report produced for the Ocean Conservation Trust and Defra.
Meinhold, J.L., Malkus, A.J., 2005. Adolescent Environmental Behaviors: Can Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy Make a Difference? Environment and Behavior, 37 (4), 511-532.
Mogias, A., Boubonari, T., Markos, A., Kevrekidis, T., 2015. Greek preservice teachers’ knowledge of ocean sciences issues and attitudes toward ocean stewardship. Journal of Environmental Education, 46, 251-270.
Mogias, A., Boubonari, T., Realdon, G., Previati, M., Mokos, M. et al., 2019. Evaluating Ocean Literacy of Elementary School Students: Preliminary Results of a Cross-Cultural Study in the Mediterranean Region. Frontiers in Marine Science, 396.
Mokos, M., Cheimonopoulou, M.T., Koulouri, P., Previati, M., Realdon G. et al., 2020a. Mediterranean Sea Literacy: When Ocean Literacy becomes region-specific. Mediterranean Marine Science, 21 (3), 592-598.
Mokos, M., Realdon, G., Zubak Čižmek, I., 2020b. How to Increase Ocean Literacy for Future Ocean Sustainability? The Influence of Non-Formal Marine Science Education. Sustainability, 12, 10647.
Müderrisoğlu, H., Altanlar, A., 2011. Attitudes and behaviors of undergraduate students toward environmental issues. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 8 (1), 159-168.
National Research Council, 2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi. org/10.17226/9853
National Research Council, 2006. Learning to Think Spatially. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Nelson, B.D., Aron, R.H., Francek, M.A., 1992. Clarification of Selected Misconceptions in Physical Geography. Journal of Geography, 91, 76-80.
Niedoszytko, G., Wojcieszek, D., Podlesinska, W., Borowiak, K., 2018. Implementing ocean literacy through the bond of informal and formal education. p. 123-142. In: Exemplary Practices in Marine Science Education. Fauville, G., Payne, D.L., Marrero, M.E., Lantz-Anderson, A., Crouch, F. (Eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland.
National Marine Educators Association [NMEA], 2010. Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K-12. College Park, MD, National Marine Educators Association. https:// www.marine-ed.org/ocean-literacy/scope-and-sequence (Accessed 09 March 2021).
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], 2013. Ocean Literacy: The Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Ocean Sciences for Learners of All Ages Version 2. College Park, MD.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Okumah, M., Martin-Ortega, J., Novo, P., Chapman, P., 2020. Revisiting the determinants of pro-environmental behavior to inform land management policy: A meta-analysis structural equation model application. Land, 9, 135.
Pe’er, S., Goldman, D., Yavetz, B., 2007. Environmental Literacy in Teacher Training: Attitudes, Knowledge, and Environmental Behavior of Beginning Students. The Journal of Environmental Education, 39, 45-59.
Phillips, W., 1991. Earth science misconceptions. Science Teacher, 58, 21-23.
Plankis, B.J., Marrero, M.E., 2010. Recent ocean literacy research in United States public schools: results and implications. International Electronic Journal of Environmental Education, 1, 21-51.
Realdon, G., Mogias, A., Fabris, S., Candussio, G., Invernizzi, C. et al., 2019. Assessing Ocean Literacy in a sample of Italian primary and middle school students. Rendiconti Online della Società Geologica Italiana, 49, 107-112.
Sakurai, R., Uehara, T., Yoshioka, T., 2019. Students’ perceptions of a marine education program at a junior high school in Japan with a specific focus on Satoumi. Environmental Education Research, 25 (2), 222-237.
Santoro, F., Santin, S., Scowcroft, G., Fauville G., Tuddenham, P., 2017. Ocean Literacy for All - A toolkit. IOC Manuals and Guides, 80. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation & UNESCO Venice Office UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice, 136 pp.
Soeharto, S., Csapó, B., Sarimanah, E., Dewi, F. I., Sabri, T. A., 2019. Review of Students’Common Misconceptions in Science and Their Diagnostic Assessment Tools. Journal Pendidikan IPA Indonesia, 8 (2), 247-266.
Stoll-Kleemann, S., 2019. Feasible Options for Behavior Change Toward More Effective Ocean Literacy: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, 273. https:// doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00273
Strang, C., de Charon, A., Schoedinger, S., 2007. Can you be science literate without being ocean literate? Current: Journal of Marine Education, 23, 7-9.
Tsai, L-T., 2019. Multilevel Effects of Student and School Factors on Senior High School Students’ Ocean Literacy. Sustainability, 20, 11, 5810.
Tsai, L.-T., Chang, C.-C., 2018. Measuring ocean literacy of high school students: psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the ocean literacy scale. Environmental Education Research, 25 (2), 264-279.
UNESCO-IOC, 2021. Ocean Literacy Framework for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable development 2021–2030. Paris, UNESCO. IOC Ocean Decade Series, 22.
U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, 2004. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. Washington, DC, U. S. Commission on Ocean Policy.
Vosniadou, S. 2002. Mental models in conceptual development. p. 353-368. In: Model-Based Reasoning: Science, Technology, Values. Magnani, L., Nersessian., N., (Eds). Plenum Publishers, New York.
Vosniadou, S., 2013. Conceptual Change Research: An Introduction. In: International Handbook of Research on Conceptual Change - Second Edition. Vosniadou, S. (Ed). New York: Routledge, 11-30.
Water World Adventure Learning Approach, 2016. Water World Adventure. Available at: http://waterworldadventure.eu/ WWA_LEARNING%20APPROACH_EN.pdf (Accessed 09 March 2021).
Wen, W-C., Lu, S-Y., 2013. Marine environmental protection knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and curricular involvement of Taiwanese primary school students in senior grades. Environmental Education Research, 19 (5), 600-619.
Yavetz, B., Goldman, D., Pe’er S., 2009. Environmental literacy of pre‐service teachers in Israel: a comparison between students at the onset and end of their studies. Environmental Education Research, 15 (4), 393-415.
Most read articles by the same author(s)