Fostering interdisciplinary competences through ocean-related education in pre-service teacher training

This study explores the implementation of an interdisciplinary teaching approach in primary teacher education, using ocean-related topics as a vehicle to integrate natural sciences, mathematics, and language learning. Conducted with preservice teachers in southern Chile, the research employed a pretest–posttest design, project-based learning activities, and semistructured interviews to examine changes in participants’ conceptions of interdisciplinarity, knowledge about the oceans, and capacity to design interdisciplinary tasks. The findings indicate a marked shift from a limited understanding of interdisciplinarity toward its recognition as a pedagogical strategy to foster critical thinking and meaningfully connect multiple subjects. The participants demonstrated increased awareness of the oceans’ ecological and climatic significance, improved ability to link ocean phenomena with core curricular areas, and enhanced skills in creating context-based, innovative learning activities. The analysis also identified key facilitators and obstacles influencing the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches. These findings offer actionable insights for improving interdisciplinary teacher education programs and can inform the design of similar initiatives in diverse educational contexts worldwide.