Towards a Greater Integration of Marine Science into School Curricula: Shortening the Distance between Students and Ocean Challenges

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in marine science partly due to modern technologies, which allow for reaching unexplored areas and experimenting with new scientific approaches. This has resulted in a new perspective and new knowledge and interest in sciences, such as biology, chemistry, oceanography, etc. In Europe, the increasing interest and diffusion of ocean literacy confirms this, but the European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) has noted that this has not been accompanied by a consequent enrichment of the scholastic programs with arguments taken from the different aspects of the marine sciences. The reasons? School programs are already too overcrowded. The intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of the marine sciences, which involves preparation in various scientific fields, are often not supported by previous teacher knowledge. Finally, there is difficulty in providing a facilitated approach to these topics for students residing away from the sea, which represents a great portion of the population. Result: While the knowledge in this sector is greatly increasing, the new generations do not seem particularly interested in following fields of study that move them in this direction. Possible solution: The new technological tools can provide help not only in investigation, but also in teaching, acting as resources to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the field of research to that of education, and so overcoming the problem of distance of many schools from the seaside. New interactive methods for approaching marine science teaching and learning can be ones that consider the involvement of students in activities related to the research itself with, as much as possible, researchers’ support. This will help address the possible shortcomings of the teachers’ knowledge and experience. Further being connected with important environmental, social, and cultural values will trigger emotions in the learners. We call these interactive methods the “Blue School.”