FarmHub
23.3 Methods
In the context of this chapter, three data sources were used including (a) an exploratory study on the educational opportunities at school (Bosire et al. 2016), (b) a feasibility study carried out among teachers (Bosire and Sikora 2017), and (c) the eGBG study (Toth and Mikkelsen 2018). The first study (a) was carried out as an exploration of the opportunities and challenges of using aquaponics as an educational tool. The study aimed at investigating to what extent it makes sense to use aquaponics in school teaching.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems23.2 Conceptual Foundation
Supporting Sustainable Development (SD) of the food system through educational efforts can be expected to be a good investment, as school children are the future policy makers and producers. According to Shephard (2008), educators and particularly higher educators have traditionally focused on the cognitive domain of learning with no much emphasis being put on primary education. We hold the view that using appropriate learning tools at primary school level can be an essential pillar to bringing about long-term positive change in societies.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems23.1 Introduction
Sustainable food production and consumption are important societal challenges. Growing populations, scarcity of arable land, and urbanization are all important factors in this area, leading to a growing interest in new sustainable food production technologies, which are not necessarily confined to maritime or rural settings. Aquaponics is one of these technologies that has received increased attention, in particular, since it can easily be applied also in urban environments. These new technologies, including aquaponics, also offer new opportunities as learning tools for people of all ages, but it is particularly appealing for young people at school.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.9 Discussion and Conclusions
An aquaponics is a perfect example of a system that can bring nature closer to a classroom and can be used as the starting point for a host of educational activities at both primary and secondary school levels. A model system, together with corresponding didactic methods, serves to make natural processes more tangible to pupils. This, in turn, helps to develop the necessary competencies for dealing with the complexity and problems of the environment, and promotes a sense of responsibility toward humanity.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.8 Does Aquaponics Fulfill Its Promise in Teaching? Evaluation of Students' Responses to Aquaponics
22.8.1 EU FP6 Project “WasteWaterResource” The aim of the Waste Water Resource project was to assemble, develop, and assess teaching and demonstration material on ecotechnological research and methods for pupils aged between 10 and 13 years (http://www.scientix.eu/web/guest/projects/ project-detail?articleId=95738). The teaching units were assessed in order to improve the methods and content and maximize learning outcomes. Based on discussions with educational professionals, the assessment was based on a simple approach using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.7 Does Aquaponics Fulfill Its Promise in Teaching? Assessments of Teaching Units by Teachers
22.7.1 Teacher Interviews in Play-With-Water Aquaponic teaching units were assessed in the FP6 project “Play-With-Water” on seven separate occasions in three countries (Sweden, Norway, Switzerland). This involved six schools (1 school in Norway, 1 in Sweden, and 4 in Switzerland) where the age of students ranged between 7 and 14 years. Six teachers were asked to keep a diary, which they then used to answer an online questionnaire complemented with phone interviews, which are summarized in Table 22.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.6 Aquaponics in Higher Education
Higher education programs need to be adapted to meet the expectations of the new millennium, such as long-term food security and sovereignty, sustainable agriculture/food production, rural development, zero hunger, and urban agriculture. These important drivers mean that higher education institutions involved in the areas of food production can play a key role in the teaching of aquaponics through both capacity development and knowledge creation and sharing. Additionally, it is clear that the interest in teaching and learning aquaponics is increasing (Junge et al.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.5 Aquaponics in Vocational Education and Training
UNESCO-UIS/OECD/EUROSTAT (2017) defines vocational education programs as “designed for learners to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies specific to a particular occupation, trade, or class of occupations or trades. Successful completion of such programs leads to labour market relevant, vocational qualifications acknowledged as occupationally-oriented by the relevant national authorities and/or the labour market” (UNESCO, 2017). In order to educate future aquaponic farmers and aquaponic technicians, the training has to include the professional operation of aquaponics.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.4 Aquaponics in Secondary Schools
According to the ISCED classification (UNESCO-UIS 2012), secondary education provides learning and educational activities building on primary education and preparing for both first labor market entry as well as post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education. Broadly speaking, secondary education aims to deliver learning at an intermediate level of complexity. While at primary education level, students are mainly directed toward observational and descriptive exercises on organisms and processes in an aquaponics, students from secondary schools can be educated in understanding dynamic processes.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems22.3 Aquaponics in Primary Schools
According to the International Standard Classification of Education (UNESCO-UIS 2012), primary education (or elementary education in American English) at ISCED level 1 (first 6 years) is typically the first stage of formal education. It provides children from the age of about 5—12 with a basic understanding of various subjects, such as maths, science, biology, literacy, history, geography, arts, and music. It is therefore designed to provide a solid foundation for learning and understanding core areas of knowledge, as well as personal and social development.
· Aquaponics Food Production Systems