Diving into a sea of knowledge: empowering teachers to enhance ocean literacy in primary schools through an ocean education training program

Abstract

Despite the opportunity to integrate ocean literacy in schools, there is limited global evidence that learning about the ocean has been prioritised in formal educational systems. An overloaded curriculum, teacher’s lack of ocean knowledge and the limited availability of educational resources are the main barriers for the inclusion of ocean topics in schools. To tackle these challenges, we developed an ocean education training program for primary school teachers and provided them with teaching resources to deliver ocean concepts and increase awareness of a local marine environment. Our results showed a positive response from teachers regarding the program, their experience, and the incorporation of ocean literacy in their lessons across different learning areas. This study emphasises the importance of training teachers in ocean literacy and can be used as a model to design marine education programs that consider the local, cultural, and environmental context of individual schools.