Underwater Photo-Elicitation: A New Experiential Marine Education Technique

Abstract

Psychologists generally agree that the rapid introduction and widespread use of new technologies is leading to ever-greater physical and psychological disconnection between humans and the non-human world. This disconnect is proving harmful to both individuals and the rest of the natural Earth community (Gaia). Developing educational techniques that reverse this destructive trend is of the upmost importance. Underwater photoelicitation is a new experiential environmental education technique designed for this purpose.This thesis describes and assesses underwater photoelicitation for its effectiveness as an educational tool within the context of community and school programs. Two separate groups, one comprising adults and one, high school students, were given underwater cameras and sent on snorkeling journeys during which they were instructed to photograph their experiences. Participants were then interviewed using individual and group photoelicitation methodologies. This technique was created to combine a relatively new technology, inexpensive digital underwater cameras, and direct experience in the non-human world with the goal of reconnecting humans to the rest of nature. This project marks the first time that underwater photoelicitation appears in environmental education research.The theoretical framework was nested within ecopsychology, deep ecology, and conservation psychology. The use of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) resulted in a more robust data analysis and led to a better understanding of underlying learning processes. The research was predominantly qualitative, and major themes were developed from questionnaires and interviews. Pre-and postquantitative surveys provided insight into attitude change and intention to act with pro-environmental behavior. 4Although underwater photoelicitation was effective at increasing awareness, eliciting emotional reactions, and fostering a sense of connection to the ocean, it was not necessarily effective at promoting positive attitudes and behaviors. Interestingly, while some attitudes about and behaviors toward the ocean did become more positive, others appeared to become more negative. This complex relationship between an outdoor experiential education program and environmental attitudes and behavior comports with previous environmental education research.In conclusion, underwater photoelicitation is an effective technique for increasing awareness of and developing an emotional connection to the ocean.Nevertheless, if the goal is to achieve significant attitude change and proenvironmental behavior, the technique must be supplemented not only with factual information regarding ecology/human impacts but also with strategies for empowering individuals to act.5

Water education, ocean literacy and arts integration

“…In one environmental education-led study environmental filmmaking was explored as more effective pedagogy than standard classroom lessons for developing environmentally responsible behaviour (Harness & Howard, 2011). In another environmental education-initiated study, underwater photograpy was used as an experiential marine education technique (Andrews et al, 2018). This approach turned out to be effective in fostering a sense of connection to the ocean.…”

Ocean Literacy, formal education, and governance: A diagnosis of Brazilian school curricula as a strategy to guide actions during the Ocean Decade and beyond

“…However, such initial concern with school curriculum was gradually replaced by OL research output, which began to branch out and incorporate activities, experiments, games, and online simulations (Foley et al, 2013;Fauville, 2017;Andrews et al, 2018) as part of formal, but also, to a large extent, informal education (Marrero et al, 2019;Barrocosa et al, 2019). As OL studies and principles gained interest in non-formal education spaces, their concepts started to be disseminated through art movements, citizen science, and social media (Fauville et al, 2015;Kelly et al, 2019;Michałowska, 2020).…”

Expanding the role of participatory mapping to assess ecosystem service provision in local coastal environments

“…Klain & Chan, 2012;Börger et al, 2014;Kenter et al, 2015;Cooper et al, 2016;Kenter et al, 2016) and their inclusion in ongoing conversations around marine natural capital. These range from quantitative, deductive approaches employed through large-scale questionnaires using Likert scale style questions as a method of assessing non-monetary values, through to more inductive, qualitative approaches of data gathering, including interviews, focus groups, workshops and an increasing use of art to elucidate values, through methods such as photo elicitation and visual mapping (Andrews et al, 2018). Mapping ecosystem services and the values (both monetary and non-monetary) attributed to them provides decision makers with the ability to design management grounded in a spatial understanding of the ecosystem e.g.…”