In response to the rapidly changing climate, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified the importance of promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), which aims to empower citizens to become active agents in mitigating the threat of climate change through providing quality climate change education. To this end, this study aims to develop a curriculum concerning climate change and ocean sustainability implemented in the compulsory course for approximately 50 graduate students who were pre-service or in-service teachers, at the Institute of Education. The main objective of the developed curriculum was to enrich their knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes towards these topics, in order to facilitate the incorporation of these learned environmental sustainability concepts into future primary and secondary education curricula. In view of Barghi, Najafi, & Rajabi (2017) point out that environmental awareness is necessary for a positive attitude toward the environment, which in turn impacts environmental behaviors. The curriculum comprises seven components: 1. Supplementary background knowledge (e.g., carbon cycle, the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, the interconnectedness of human actions and the environment), 2. Marine science museum visit, 3. Geo-coastal field trip, 4. Academic speech, 5. Experienced teachers sharing the course design, 6. Argumentation on the socio-scientific issues, and 7. Reflection on the course. The study results presented at the conference will provide quantitative data comparing teachers' ocean literacy, environmental awareness, and environmental behaviors before and after the curriculum. Additionally, qualitative data regarding teachers' feedback and reflections will be included.

Authors:
Yi-Chun Chen, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
Chih-Hsuan Chou, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
Tong Chen, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Yi-Chun Chen is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at National Taiwan Ocean University in Taiwan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

Bookmark