Towards water literacy: Analysis of standards for teaching and learning about water on Earth

Abstract Water is one of Earth’s fundamental natural systems. It is crucial to foster water literacy in today’s global citizens, particularly through formal education. The purpose of this research, in parallel with a study focused on human dimensions of water systems (Mostacedo-Marasovic et al., in press), is to examine water-related K-12 standards for teaching and learning about water and natural systems and develop a comprehensive and transdisciplinary perspective on water education. Our overarching question is, “What do disciplinary standards specify as outcomes for students’ learning about water and natural systems?” Our research questions are: (i) “To what extent do these water-related standards address recognized domains of learning?” and (ii) “What thematic outcomes for students’ learning are apparent across grades in these water-related standards?.” We use chi-square statistics and conventional qualitative content analysis complemented by processes from grounded theory to analyze water-related education standards (N = 196) from 11 education-oriented governmental and non-governmental organizations based in the United States and the United Nations. Our results indicate that, first, water-related standards emphasize the cognitive domain, including declarative and procedural knowledge, for water-related concepts and skills. The affective domain and its social component are far less prevalent. Second, the water-related standards illustrate four categories including abundance, distribution, and movement of water on Earth; water and the Geosphere; water and climate; and water and life. These findings provide a more comprehensive perspective from multiple disciplines of the natural sciences on outcomes for teaching and learning about water and natural systems, as well as the learning domains they address. These can inform educational efforts to cultivate water literacy across K-12 through teaching and learning.