Introductory Disaster Training for Aspiring Teachers: A Pilot Study

Why is didactic transposition in disaster education needed by prospective elementary school teachers?

Disaster risk reduction is a significant focus on sustainable development. One way to reduce disaster risk is through disaster education. Through disaster education, disaster knowledge and disaster mitigation knowledge will be obtained. This research is a preliminary study of didactic transposition in disaster education. The method used in this study is the SLR approach and bibliometric analysis. The research findings indicate four forms of connectedness, classified based on the main keyword, disaster knowledge. The four linkages are described as (a) co-occurrence network analysis; (b) word cloud analysis; (c) word tree maps analysis; and (d) network visualization analysis. Subsequently, the findings of the four connectedness are grouped into four clusters. The first cluster is disaster risk reduction, the second cluster is knowledge, the third cluster is disaster mitigation, and the fourth cluster is disaster knowledge. The four connectedness and four clusters will be used as recommendations for future research on the design and development of didactic transpositions in disaster education for prospective elementary school teachers.

Effect of disaster training on knowledge regarding flood risk management amongst families with older people

The elderly population is of utmost importance amongst vulnerable populations during disasters because they experience reduced functional abilities, cognitive disturbance, dementia, weak physical conditions and various degenerative diseases. This study aimed to assess the effect of disaster preparedness training on knowledge regarding flood disaster preparedness and management in families with older people. This study was conducted using a quasi-experimental pre-post design with 30 participants in natural hazard preparedness training using purposive sampling. The results of this study showed a significant change in general knowledge on disaster and flood (12.9 and 20 points, respectively). Disaster preparedness practice was good, as reflected in actions performed before, during and after disaster. Before a flood occurs, families prepare a disaster preparedness bag for important documents as well as logistics (e.g. food) for emergencies and equipment for evacuation whilst also storing valuable goods in a safe place. During floods, families prioritise older people's evacuation whilst seeking information about the flood through neighbours, walkie-talkies, handphones, television and radio as well as ensuring that the necessary logistics are taken care of. After the disaster, families clean their properties, provide clean water and toilet facilities for the family, check the health of family members that may be impacted by the flood and make sure that all electrical panels are safe. It is concluded that disaster training affects the knowledge of flood management in families with older people.

Relationship between Teachers’ Awareness of Disaster Prevention and Concerns about Disaster Preparedness

Disaster preparedness in schools is critical for the health and well-being of students and staff. To enhance disaster preparedness, awareness of disaster prevention should be raised among teachers. The aim of the current study was to assess disaster prevention awareness among teachers and to clarify the relationship between disaster prevention awareness and concern regarding disaster preparedness. Teachers from special needs schools, for which disaster preparedness is particularly important, were selected. Study questionnaires were sent to 1310 schools for children with special health care needs across 47 Japanese prefectures. Five-hundred-and-thirty-one complete responses were obtained. The disaster preparedness in the schools was insufficient. Teachers were concerned about child management, life saving, life maintenance, evacuation shelter management, and school management. There was a positive correlation between disaster prevention awareness and concern about disaster (r = 0.217, p-value = 0.000). The disaster awareness scale items “A sense of crisis about disaster” and “Anxiety” were positively correlated with concern about disaster, whereas “Imagining the disaster situation” was negatively correlated with concern about disaster. The current study analyzed the relationship between disaster prevention awareness and concern regarding disaster preparedness, which is relevant for the practice and indicates the importance of imagination strengthening.