Education, Territory, and Sea Analysis of Spatial Imaginaries and Maritime Awareness in the Ecuadorian Educational System

Abstract

This study analyzes a problem within Ecuador’s formal basic education system, related to the perception of the nation’s maritime spaces. The defined purpose was to determine how maritime awareness and territorial or spatial imaginaries have been transmitted since 2016, with particular attention to their impact on the valuation of Ecuador’s sea. The study also examined initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Education and the General Directorate of Maritime Interests of the Ecuadorian Navy, the competent institutions in this field, which have encouraged curricular integration as a solution to address maritime awareness transversally through curricular skills.A bibliographic analysis was conducted, including the most relevant documents guiding educational processes in Ecuadorian schools and high schools, along with other sources related to the topic. This was complemented by fieldwork with different target groups to collect data through guided interactions about perceptions of maritime spaces. The results showed that the issue extends beyond the context of basic and upper secondary education, mainly due to the dissemination of territorial imaginaries that exclude the maritime domain and misplace the Galápagos Islands. One point of discussion highlights that updated information should not have been omitted in the design of the curriculum and textbooks. The main conclusion is that the inadequate interpretation of Ecuador’s official cartographic products—such as the political map published by the Military Geographic Institute in 2012—has contributed to the spread of inaccurate territorial imaginaries.