DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPT INVENTORY FOR COASTAL STUDIES SYSTEMS THINKING: A SOCIO-SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

In the age of the climate crisis, it is more important than ever to effectively communicate and educate on coastal issues in order to accurately inform personal, community-wide, and legislative action on adaptation, resilience, and sustainability planning. Coastal issues, exacerbated by climate change, are of importance to the world as a whole, but especially to the 40% of the US population and approximately 40% of the world’s population that live in coastal regions and are therefore directly affected by coastal systems and issues. Due to the vastness of the field, including disciplines from geoscience to social science, coastal studies should be analyzed under a ‘systems thinking’ framework, where the interconnectedness between coastal systems and the interplay between humans and the natural environment is emphasized. In order to develop systems thinking skills within coastal studies, the ability to assess and measure coastal systems thinking is necessary. The present study aims to contribute to the field of coastal studies and environmental education by developing a concept inventory that can be used to measure an individual's knowledge of coastal systems. The concept inventory uses qualitative data gleaned from semi-structured interviews with coastal studies experts to identify common misconceptions within and between the various disciplines that contribute to the field of coastal studies. Preliminary results point towards a robust set of misconceptions that must be addressed with a particular focus on the interrelatedness of the fields within the subject. This concept inventory could be used to identify and address misconceptions related to coastal environments that will enhance environmental education and allow coastal residents to make more informed decisions.