Abstract

An international survey of degree courses with significant Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) content was conducted to evaluate the extent and role of residential fieldwork in ICM curricula. Responses were received from 20 different degree courses, geographically distributed in Europe, Africa, North America, Australasia, and the South Pacific. Results indicated that residential fieldwork was a common element of ICM curricula. The rationale for the use of fieldwork was generally to provide opportunities for students to experience coastal issues, environments and stakeholders directly. However, the actual benefits received by students were less clear. To address this data gap, a detailed evaluation of an ICM field visit by UK students to Turkey was undertaken. Data was collected through pre- and post-fieldwork questionnaires, and focus groups. It was found that students considered their subject knowledge, research skills, inter-personal skills and cultural awareness to be improved, but that fieldwork also produced anxieties, particularly related to logistical and practical arrangements. It was also found that specific teaching strategies used in the field were of variable effectiveness and that learning did not occur simply because students were in the field. It was concluded that many of the perceived benefits of fieldwork were real, but without a teaching, learning and assessment strategy that recognised the special requirements of fieldwork, the potentially significant advantages of learning in the field could be compromised.