Towards a 2025 National Ocean Literacy Strategy: Current Status and Future Needs in Primary Education

Freitas, Cátia; Bellgrove, Alecia; Venzo, Paul; Francis, Prue

doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.883524

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Finally, as a result of the positive outcomes of this project, including an outstanding level of teacher engagement, a new ocean education inquiry unit, focused on coastal sustainability, was developed by the teachers in the school for Foundation to Year 7 students. This exceeded the initial expectations of the research team, particularly considering the main obstacles described in the literature to incorporate ocean literacy in classrooms such as the absence of ocean topics in the school curriculum and teacher's limited understanding of marine science (Gough, 2017;Freitas et al, 2022). We look forward to hearing how our methods and methodologies shared in this paper are adapted by the teachers for their teaching and assessment processes and the future surprises we might learn about the role of aesthetics in the nexus of teaching, learning and research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…This quote is applicable to the aim of the marine education programme where students participated in immersive, place-based experiences relating to their local marine environment where there was opportunity to develop a 'transformation of taste' . Encouraging children to learn about the GSR contributes to Australia's push to create an ocean literate society (Freitas et al, 2022). The GSR is facing rapid climate change impacts and urban development pressures (Bennett et al, 2016).…”

Section: Connections Of Place Aesthetics and Interestednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent data indicates there is a high risk of extinction of endemic reef species in southern Australia (Edgar et al, 2023). Raising awareness of the GSR and the threats it is facing is imperative to help children understand and appreciate their local marine environment and to foster ocean stewardship (Freitas et al, 2022). In addition, knowing their local natural environment has been shown to influence young people's imagined spatial futures and ongoing education interests (Rönnlund, 2020).…”

Section: Connections Of Place Aesthetics and Interestednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aesthetic surprises and considerations when researching marine science education with art

Hannigan,

Freitas,

Francis

2023

Front. Educ.

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IntroductionWhy was the study undertaken? What was the research question, the tested hypothesis or the purpose of the research? The research question is: What are the implications of disciplinary aesthetics when marine science meets art in educational research? Children in schools from Victoria, Australia were engaged in a series of marine science fieldtrips, workshops and lessons based on the Great Southern Reef, a temperate marine environment of Australia. They created drawings based on provocations, to depict their knowledge of marine species, before and after these education experiences.MethodsWhen, where, and how was the study done? What materials were used or who was included in the study groups (patients, etc.)? This paper shares the mixed methodology used by focusing on the qualitative methods used, that arose out of a need to understand the role of aesthetics in this research project. This paper documents the analysis of data that included children’s drawings and dialogue between researchers and children from interviews. We discuss insights into the role of aesthetics that were revealed in the visual and narrative data from perspectives of children’s learning and how the researchers were able to understand this. These findings are discussed considering the teaching intentions and procedures used, the importance of this multimodal approach to research that revealed aesthetics of science, visual art and language in education.ResultsWhat answer was found to the research question; what did the study find? Was the tested hypothesis true? The research reveals the important role drawing has when trying to understand the students’ varying degrees of understanding marine science education. Variables include: their prior experience with marine environments, students’ drawing abilities, stylistic elements (that can render an image ‘confident’ or ‘sketchy’), compositional devices and use of perspective that their drawings depict (looking at a pier from underwater or through snorkel goggles). It also includes interpretations and explanations of their drawings and other uses of language such as the use of written labels to reinforce or clarify parts of their drawings.DiscussionWhat might the answer imply and why does it matter? How does it fit in with what other researchers have found? What are the perspectives for future research? This research reveals the important role of multi-modal approaches in science learning and the significant and dependent role of visual art and words, for students to communicate their learnt content knowledge. It highlights the aesthetic experiences that must be taken into consideration when teaching, learning and when understanding what has been learnt.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Connections Of Place Aesthetics and Interestednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Connections Of Place Aesthetics and Interestednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aesthetic surprises and considerations when researching marine science education with art

Hannigan,

Freitas,

Francis

2023

Front. Educ.

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“…To ensure the well-being of marine ecosystems, it is of paramount importance to foster a deeper appreciation and understanding of the ocean. This mission should commence in early education, offering children the opportunity to develop a connection with their local marine environment [4]. Urgent action is needed to educate and inform citizens of all ages, encouraging responsible attitudes and critical thinking to promote a more ocean-literate society [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting Sustainable Fish Consumption in Portuguese 4th-Grade Students

Silva,

Boaventura,

Sequeira

2024

Sustainability

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Consuming fish sustainably means consuming less and better, considering environmental, social, and economic impacts. This demands more knowledge to make informed decisions. In this study, the main goal was to understand how environmental sustainability education can be used as a tool to increase the knowledge and promote sustainable behaviour and consumption habits of 4th-grade students. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the use of two different learning methods, face-to-face and online learning, leading to two different groups of students, and we attempted to measure if the mode of implementing the activities affected the knowledge of the students. A sequential explanatory mixed methodology was applied with a pre-test/post-test design combined with focus group interviews. Between the pre- and post-tests, three activities modules were performed. The results showed that the students were unaware of many aspects related to sustainable fish consumption, but the developed activities significantly increased their knowledge of the subject and impacted students in terms of changing their consumption behaviours. It was also found that the construction of knowledge by the students after the activities was achieved either via face-to-face or online learning. Interviews from the focus group sessions showed that students got to know new fish species, learned about the concept of minimum landing size and closure season and that fish are labelled like other types of food.

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“…One step to achieving this is through creating an ocean literate society and this can start with the younger generation in formal education settings by finding creative ways to embed the seven ocean literacy principles (Fauville, Strang, Cannady, & Chen, 2019) into the Australian Curriculum. Familiar tools such as picture books can be an effective way to do this (Freitas, Bellgrove, Venzo, & Francis, 2022), and Keepers of the Reef is not only a fun book to add to your child's book reading repertoire at home, but is ideally placed to enhance ocean literacy in primary schools in Australia.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Keepers of the reef - Written by Dr Sharon Wismer, Illustrated by Alice Wong, Tilbury House Publishers, Thomaston, Maine, 2022. - Reviewed by Prue Francis, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Queenscliff Marine Science Centre, Queenscliff.

Francis

2022

Aust. J. environ. educ.

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Keepers of the Reef is an informative nonfictional picture book focussed on the ecological interactions of animals and algae that call the Great Barrier Reef home. The text and illustrations take the reader on a journey to explain the importance of a coral reef ecosystem and the roles that herbivorous fishes play in keeping the system healthy. Despite there being many coral reef picture books currently available, Keepers of the Reef stands out from others by focusing on the herbivory feeding behaviour of the fish-an ecologically important interaction that to my knowledge, has not been explored in a picture book before.In the first part of the book, we are introduced to the Great Barrier Reef, its diversity and significance. This bigger picture then homes in on the corals themselves, taking us through the different shapes and a diagrammatic illustration of the life cycle of a coral. Next, the reader is introduced to the importance and different types of algae. We learn about how a coral garden can shift to an algal garden if the algae are left to grow undisturbed. This sets the scene for the focus of the story-the keepers of the reef. The reader learns how herbivorous fish play different roles on the reef but ultimately work together to limit the growth of turfing algae. The various "keeper" roles are described by Sharon using catchy descriptions such as the brusher, the cropper, the scraper, the excavator, and the browser. Towards the end of the book, the main threats facing the Great Barrier Reef are presented together with innovative solutions scientists are developing and adopting for coral restoration. The balance of creating both environmental empathy and scientific understanding is delivered in a well-balanced and clever way to ensure minimal impact of creating ecophobia to the young reader (ecophobia defined in: McKnight, 2010). The book finishes with an invitation to do our part to help protect the reef through activities that can be conducted at home and within your community. The ideas provided are achievable to a young reader and are coupled with bonus coral points allocated to each activity. The book concludes with a glossary, further reading and websites, providing a useful resource to extend knowledge on the topic.Throughout the book, the illustrations are saturated with pastel watercolours drawing on the array of colour often seen in a coral reef. To add a touch of interest and connection with the reader, two young children are seen throughout the pages. We see the children on the beach with a turtle

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Towards a 2025 National Ocean Literacy Strategy: Current Status and Future Needs in Primary Education

Cited by 13 publications

References 50 publications

Aesthetic surprises and considerations when researching marine science education with art

Aesthetic surprises and considerations when researching marine science education with art

Promoting Sustainable Fish Consumption in Portuguese 4th-Grade Students

Keepers of the reef - Written by Dr Sharon Wismer, Illustrated by Alice Wong, Tilbury House Publishers, Thomaston, Maine, 2022. - Reviewed by Prue Francis, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Queenscliff Marine Science Centre, Queenscliff.

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