Improving environmental awareness and ocean literacy through hands-on activities in the tropics

Abstract

This work aimed to raise ocean awareness of 6th-grade students using marine invertebrates and integrating ludic activities within the curricula. Forty-two students from two public elementary schools from Northeast Brazil were selected. A pre-experimental design with pre-test/post-test was followed, using a questionnaire on ocean-environmental-related topics, and applying an inquiry-based learning approach. The ludic procedures were effective to improve the perception and learning of the students on the importance of oceans and the need for their preservation. We highlight the necessity for including more active methods to promote such awareness in schools.

Author contributions

D.C. designed the study and implemented it in the schools; D.C., R.F.P.L, C.P.-C. and M.D. interpreted and analyzed the data; D.C. and M.D. prepared the figures; D.C. wrote the first draft of the manuscript with significant contributions from M.L.C., C.P.-C. and M.D. The manuscript was then revised by all authors.

Acknowledgements

This study was financed in part by the ‘Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel’ (CAPES, Brazil) - Finance Code 001. In partnership with ‘Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research’ (CIIMAR, Portugal), this research was supported by funds through ‘Foundation for Science and Technology’ (FCT, Portugal) within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020. We thank the academic support provided by ‘Programa Regional de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente’ (PRODEMA), Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), and ‘Aquário Paraíba’, Brazil. We acknowledge to Amaury Pereira, Francisco Silva, Cristina Crispim, Josina Coelho, Gil Dutra, Karina Massei, Katiana Arruda, Christinne Eloy, Andréa Leite, Luis Gustavo de Brito, and Jane Torelli for their support in the development of the planned activities. Special thanks to the managers, teachers, and students of both schools included, as well as the Paraíba State Government and the João Pessoa and Mataraca City Halls, Brazil. D.A. Costa was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship provided by ‘Doctoral Programme Sandwich Abroad’ (PDSE)/CAPES (Edital n° 47/2017), in partnership with ‘Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Estado da Paraíba’ (FAPESQ) (Edital n° 03/2016). M. Christoffersen thanks the productivity grant provided by the ‘National Council for Scientific and Technological Development’ (CNPq, Brazil). C. Piñeiro-Corbeira received funding from Xunta de Galicia (Spain) within the program ‘Axudas para a consolidación e estruturación de unidades de investigación competitivas do SUG’ (grants GPC2015/025, ED431D 2017/20, ED431B 2018/49). M. Dolbeth was supported by the FCT Researcher programme contract (M. Dolbeth, IF/00919/2015), subsidised by the European Social Fund and Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (MCTES), through the Human Potential Operational Programme (POPH).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

CAPES (Brazil): Finance Code 001; PDSE/CAPES “Edital nº 47/2017” - D. Costa PhD scholarship.- FAPESQ (Brazil): “Edital nº 03/2016” - D. Costa PhD scholarship.- CNPQ (Brazil): M. Christoffersen productivity grant.- FCT and CIIMAR (Portugal): UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020.- FCT/MCTES/POPH Programme contract (Portugal): M. Dolbeth IF/00919/2015.- Xunta de Galicia (Spain): C. Piñeiro-Corbeira grants GPC2015/025, ED431D 2017/20, ED431B 2018/49.