Kolb's experiential learning theory and marine debris education: Effects of different stages on learning

Ling-Ya Hung; Shun-Mei Wang; Ting-Kuang Yeh

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114933

Kolb's experiential learning theory and marine debris education: Effects of different stages on learning

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Jun:191:114933. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114933. Epub 2023 Apr 27.

Authors

Ling-Ya Hung¹, Shun-Mei Wang², Ting-Kuang Yeh³

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116325, Taiwan, ROC; Taiwan Marine Education Center, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202301, Taiwan, ROC.
² Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116325, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Institute of Marine Environmental Science and Technology, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116325, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Earth Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116325, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: tkyeh@ntnu.edu.tw.

PMID: 37119586
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114933

Abstract

Marine debris is a vital issue in ocean governance. While education outreach can promote individual learning and develop pro-environmental behavior, research on marine debris education remains scarce. Kolb's experiential learning theory may provide a holistic model for marine debris education; therefore, this study developed an experiential-learning based marine debris (ELBMD) beach cleanup curriculum and analyzed the participants' performance during Kolb's four-stage cycle. The results revealed that (1) the ELBMD curriculum deepened the participants' understanding of marine debris, created a sense of responsibility, and increased their confidence in analytical skills and intention to act responsibly. (2) Reflection (Stage II) encouraged participants to think deeply about the human-environment relationship, which induced pro-environmental behavior and awareness of political engagement (Stage IV). (3) Peer discussion (Stage III) induced participants to refine their conception architecture, form values, and practice pro-environmental behavior (Stage IV). The results may aid the development of future marine debris education.

Keywords: Beach cleaning activities; Environmental education; Kolb's experiential learning theory; Marine debris issue; Outdoor education.

MeSH terms

Curriculum*
Humans
Problem-Based Learning* / methods