[S18P-02] Survey on the impact of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes on schools and reflections of local teachers on improving disaster education
The 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (Mw 7.7, 7.6) caused significant damage across Southeastern Türkiye and Northwestern Syria. Experiences and lessons learned from such a devastating disaster should be delivered to the people living in disaster-prone areas, both present and in the future, to minimize the impact of future disasters. In particular, providing effective training on disaster education to pre-service teachers is essential to ensure that preventive measures and responsiveness become ingrained in the society. Under such a scope, we conducted, with a support from the J-RAPID Collaborative Research/Survey Program for Urgent Research, a set of surveys and a workshop to collect data that can serve as the basis for developing new disaster education training material that reflects the lessons learned from the disaster.
Our first on-site surveys in September 2023 (seven months after the earthquakes) revealed similarities to the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster in several aspects. Specifically, we observed hesitation regarding when and how disaster and disaster risk reduction education should be delivered. From February to March 2024, approximately one year after the earthquakes, we conducted an online survey to teachers in the disaster-affected areas in Türkiye. This survey revealed that many teachers who experienced the disaster think that disaster education should be updated to reflect the lessons learned from the earthquake. Specifically, the importance of the following aspects was reiterated: more structured content with carefully assessed design including building safety, integration of disaster education into the curriculum, more practical way of teaching (using various types of materials including drills and games, more interaction and participatory engagement, etc.), and psychological aspects of earthquake consequences. In April 2024, we held a workshop with the local teachers. The insights shared during the workshop not only aligned with the online survey results, but also provided more in-depth discussion and specific ideas for teaching materials. For instance, one participant suggested the use of a YouTube video as a learning resource. The data collected through the project will serve as the basis for developing a new disaster education training program for pre-service teachers.
Our first on-site surveys in September 2023 (seven months after the earthquakes) revealed similarities to the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster in several aspects. Specifically, we observed hesitation regarding when and how disaster and disaster risk reduction education should be delivered. From February to March 2024, approximately one year after the earthquakes, we conducted an online survey to teachers in the disaster-affected areas in Türkiye. This survey revealed that many teachers who experienced the disaster think that disaster education should be updated to reflect the lessons learned from the earthquake. Specifically, the importance of the following aspects was reiterated: more structured content with carefully assessed design including building safety, integration of disaster education into the curriculum, more practical way of teaching (using various types of materials including drills and games, more interaction and participatory engagement, etc.), and psychological aspects of earthquake consequences. In April 2024, we held a workshop with the local teachers. The insights shared during the workshop not only aligned with the online survey results, but also provided more in-depth discussion and specific ideas for teaching materials. For instance, one participant suggested the use of a YouTube video as a learning resource. The data collected through the project will serve as the basis for developing a new disaster education training program for pre-service teachers.