Ocean literacy among Taiwanese and Japanese high school students

Abstract

The sea surrounds both Taiwan and Japan, but they have adopted different marine education policies. This study used the ocean literacy framework published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to examine the ocean literacy of high school students in Taiwan and Japan. We also investigated the channels through which students acquired marine biology knowledge and whether parental education level and students’ attitudes toward the ocean affected ocean literacy. Tests were administered in Japanese and Chinese to assess students’ ocean literacy, attitude, and background. This study used descriptive statistics, the independent sample t-test, and multigroup structural equation modeling. Taiwanese students considerably outperformed Japanese students in ocean literacy, scoring significantly higher in five of the seven ocean literacy principles. In Taiwan, higher parental education level led to higher ocean literacy scores, but not in Japan. Access to information regarding marine biology also differed by country. These results provide a reference to high schools, teachers, and policymakers in Taiwan and Japan and can help improve curricula, learning environments, and marine education policies.