Multilevel Effects of Student and School Factors on Senior High School Students' Ocean Literacy

Abstract

This study explored the variance in ocean literacy accounted for by student and school levels and examined the influence of these two predictors on senior high school students' ocean literacy using a hierarchical linear model. Data were collected from 1944 students from 99 schools and used to construct the two-level hierarchical linear model. The results indicated that the variance in ocean literacy accounted for by students was larger than that accounted for by schools; approximately a quarter of the total variance in ocean literacy was accounted for by schools. At the student level, attitude toward the ocean and frequency of reading ocean-themed books or magazines were predictors of ocean literacy, whereas at the school level, school region and location were significant influential factors. This study's results have significance for policy-making regarding ocean literacy improvement.