Identifying challenges to implementing ocean education in Nova Scotia classrooms

McPherson, K. ., Wright, T. ., & Tyedmers, P. . (2020). Challenges and prospects to the integration of ocean education into high school science courses in Nova Scotia. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 19, 129-140.

Ocean education is a critical component of science curricula but is often lacking or not included in science classrooms. In Canada, there is no country-wide mandate to include ocean education in science curricula, as curricula are developed by each province based on their culture, heritage, and most pressing issues. Only two provinces, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, which are near the ocean, include ocean topics in schooling through the optional Oceans 11 curriculum. Even still, studies show that these students lack ocean literacy and, despite personally valuing the ocean significantly, have little knowledge of basic ocean concepts. This study aimed to determine the challenges associated with incorporating ocean education into high school science classes in Nova Scotia and the extent to which teachers currently provide ocean education to students.

The study took place in Nova Scotia, Canada. The researchers recruited 17 teachers, 5 male and 12 female, to participate in the study via email, all of whom were members of the Halifax Regional School Board. Each participant was asked 25 questions about the challenges of integrating ocean concepts and education into their curriculum in a semi-structured interview. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed for common themes.

Analysis of the teacher responses revealed four common themes noted as challenges to incorporating ocean concepts into the classroom: curriculum outcomes, time, access to resources, and teacher knowledge of ocean concepts. The researchers found that curriculum outcomes and time were the most frequently identified challenges. Curriculum outcomes are used to direct teaching and measure success, but participants stated that adhering to these outcomes prevents them from including additional topics such as ocean education. Participants relayed that they did not have enough time to develop connections between ocean science and the curriculum outcomes, which prevented them from integrating ocean education into their curriculum.

The researchers found that lack of resources was the third most frequently identified challenge, followed by of teacher knowledge of ocean concepts. Participants noted that if provided with ocean education-related teaching resources, they would be more likely to include ocean education. Teacher knowledge was also identified as a challenge to including ocean education. Participants indicated that they had little knowledge of ocean science, and that training on the subject was not provided in teacher trainings. Teacher responses also revealed the importance they placed on the ocean, though the challenges they discussed created a gap between their values and implementing ocean education. All participants noted personal connections to the ocean and agreed that it is important to include ocean science in their teaching.

This study had limitations. The study was performed in Nova Scotia, which was one of two provinces that already incorporated some ocean education into the curriculum. Participants were also recruited through the regional school board, not randomly selected. All of the participants disclosed strong personal ties to the ocean, which may have made them more apt to participate in the study and more passionate about the importance of ocean education. In other provinces where the ocean does not play such a critical role, the results of this study may not be applicable.

The authors made several recommendations to help reduce the gap in ocean education in Canada. First, teachers should be formally directed to teach ocean education. For this to occur, it should be incorporated into the existing curriculum through teaching outcomes. Teachers should also receive training specific to the Oceans 11 curriculum through the Board of Education. Training programs for pre-service teachers should also include a mandatory ocean education course. Finally, the researchers recommend that the Board of Education and ocean industry professionals develop training programs and resources for teachers. The researchers concluded that the combination of these recommended efforts would increase both teachers' and students' ocean literacy and ensure that ocean education becomes a permanent fixture in high school science curricula in Nova Scotia.

The Bottom Line

<p>Ocean education in Canadian high school science classrooms is lacking as there is no country-wide mandate to include ocean education in curricula. The researchers interviewed 17 science teachers from Nova Scotia to determine how much ocean education they integrate into their classrooms, and the barriers that may prevent this incorporation. Participants indicated four barriers to incorporating ocean education: curriculum outcomes, time, access to resources, and teacher knowledge of ocean concepts. Importance of the ocean to teachers also influenced whether ocean topics were incorporated into the classroom. Curriculum outcomes and time were the most common issues. All participants noted that they believed ocean education was important and that it should be included in Nova Scotia science classrooms. The researchers made several recommendations, including: incorporating ocean education into curriculum outcomes, mandating teacher trainings in ocean literacy, and developing a partnership between the industry and education sectors to develop trainings and resources for teachers.</p>

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