Fletcher S., Potts J., Ballinger R.. 2008. The pedagogy of integrated coastal management.. The Geographical Journal..

Aim/objectives: 

Discusses the role of pedagogy in Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) through a study of tertiary students in UK universities.

Geographic Focus: 

Methods: 

Key Findings: 

Capacity building for ICM tends to focus on identifying necessary skills and knowledge, while the pedagogic elements of capacity building are given less attention. This article reports on research in which the preferred learning styles of ICM students studying in UK universities were assessed to better understand the role of pedagogy in ICM. A wide range of learning styles were exhibited, based on Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, however there was strong convergence around a particular learning style or styles. This leads the authors to highlight the importance of pedagogical issues for ICM capacity building and implementation, and the possible need for a specific ICM pedagogy. Addressing these pedagogic issues creates an opportunity to close capacity gaps among coastal management stakeholders, enhance participatory processes and improve coastal governance generally. Lessons for adaptive learning

Lessons: 

This article concludes with a number of suggestions for further research of these pedagogical issues for ICM. For example, this research is based on a limited sample. The influence of time, place, career stage, culture and the differences that might be observed among ICM practitioners are highly significant in interpreting the results. Nonetheless, the article highlights important issues in regard to how the effectiveness of individual learning can be improved, and the implications this has for building adaptive capacity in ICM.