Splash! Life's a Beach and Then You Dive: Developing Primary Pre‐Service Teachers' Knowledge of Biodiversity Through Coastal Fieldwork and an Interdisciplinary Pedagogical Model
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT The extinction of experience—the loss of direct contact with nature—has eroded ecological literacy among successive generations including primary pre‐service teachers (PSTs), challenging their capacity to deliver mandatory science curricula. This qualitative case study evaluates an interdisciplinary initial teacher training (ITT) programme where eight European PSTs conducted a coastal safari as role‐playing naturalists, subsequently reconstructing the shore via art‐integrated habitat dioramas. Questionnaires, participant observations and peer feedback revealed that first‐hand fieldwork shifted trainees towards accurate, locally specific species identification, while model‐making consolidated pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Analysed via Murcia et al.'s creativity framework, the intervention fostered experiential learning and collaboration, offering teacher educators an adaptable, scalable model that simultaneously builds biodiversity literacy and outdoor pedagogy.
Source: European Journal of Education
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.70937
Author: Deborah Myers
Institution: Northumbria University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,350
OpenAlex ID: W7225660856