Impact of the citizen science project COLLECT on ocean literacy and well-being within a north/west African and south-east Asian context

作者：Marine I. Severin, Lazare Kouame Akpetou, Pavanee Annasawmy, Francis E. Asuquo, Fiona Beckman, Mostapha Benomar, Annette Jaya-Ram, Mohammed Malouli, Jan Mees, Ivanice Monteiro, Joey Ndwiga, Péricles Neves Silva, Olubunmi Ayoola Nubi, Yee Kwang Sim, Zacharie Sohou, Aileen Tan Shau Hwai, Sau Pinn Woo, Soukaina Zizah, Ann Buysse, Filip Raes, Lilian Anne Krug, Sophie Seeyave, Gert Everaert, Edem Mahu, Ana I. Catarino · 发表于：Frontiers in Psychology · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1130596 · 被引用次数：20 · 研究领域：Microplastics and Plastic Pollution、Environmental Education and Sustainability、Animal and Plant Science Education

Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has shown to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants’ ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries, in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests ( n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmen...