Student experiences of Ocean Literacy in the Blue School Programme: learning, engagement and action

This study examines how students experience and interpret Ocean Literacy (OL) within Portugal’s Blue School Programme and how these experiences relate to broader aims in science and sustainability education. Drawing on a convergent mixed-methods design, data from 3451 students were analysed to explore patterns of OL across cognitive, affective, behavioural, and civic dimensions, as well as students’ accounts of learning, engagement, and action. Quantitative findings indicate generally positive self-reported outcomes across the dimensions retained in the analysis, with younger students reporting higher scores, particularly in Awareness and Knowledge. Qualitative findings show that experiential and emotional engagement helped students connect ocean-related learning with personal meaning, communication, and everyday practices.Rather than presenting OL as a purely knowledge-based outcome, the study highlights its situated and participatory character within formal education. The integrated findings suggest that Ocean Literacy develops through the interaction of knowledge, emotion, social context, and opportunities for participation. They also show that action-oriented engagement is socially mediated and may require specific pedagogical support, particularly among older students. The study contributes a student-centred account of Ocean Literacy in the Blue School context and offers insights into how science education can support meaningful engagement with socio-environmental issues.