Levantamento do nível de cultura oceânica de alunos do ensino fundamental: um comparativo entre cidades do litoral e do interior

Abstract

The oceans make up 71% of the Earth's surface and participate in a set of processes and cycles essential to life. However, their conservation is still compromised by anthropogenic actions, threatening the availability of resources and marine life. The UNESCO Decade of the Ocean was established, for which goals were proposed regarding awareness and conservation of the oceans, and is segmented in the national scenario by the National Implementation Plan of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which also aims to promote ocean literacy (OC) in the country, also starting through blue schools. Ocean literacy is a concept that is internationally solid, but still new in Brazil, and aims to encompass the understanding of the ocean, its importance and the influence of individual actions on it, and can be understood based on seven essential principles. In Brazil, there is a gap in expected knowledge, resulting from gaps in the skills of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and its coherence with the expected oceanic principles, which can impact learning and environmental education even in elementary school. In addition, methodologies based on the foundations of the OC are being consolidated, such as the International Ocean Literacy Survey (IOLS), which aims to measure an individual's level of oceanic enculturation, and is relevant for monitoring the measures proposed by the Decade of the Ocean. This study sought to survey the level of oceanic literacy of elementary school students, encompassing two regions of Brazil, using the adapted methodology of the IOLS questionnaire. The results revealed a medium to low level of oceanic literacy in both locations, with a slightly higher average number of correct answers in Navegantes (7.5) compared to São Carlos (7.1). Although this difference is subtle, analyses showed that the difference between regions is statistically significant (p = 0.03334), suggesting that location may influence the assimilation of ocean culture. Analysis by principle indicated that the most assimilated were principles 1 and 3, while the least understood were principles 2, 4 and 6. We also observed a direct relationship between the presence of these missing principles in the curriculum and student performance. These data highlight the need to review the formal school curriculum to align it with the National Implementation Plan of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the goals of the Ocean Decade. In particular, it is essential to include principles 2, 4 and 7 in the National Common Core Curriculum, promoting a more comprehensive education about the ocean