Disaster Risk Reduction Education in School Geography Curriculum: Review and Outlook from a Perspective of China

Qian Gong,Yushan Duan,Fengtao Guo

doi:10.3390/su13073963

Abstract

In order to investigate the content evolution of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the school geography curriculum in China, this research used the five dimensions of DRR learning framework, namely knowledge, response, action, participation, and integration, as a platform and a conceptual premise upon which to review the primary and secondary school geography curriculum standards from 1986 to the present. Geography as a carrier subject had been an integration approach of DRR in the national curriculum in China. Using the method of qualitative content analysis with the support of the software NVivo 12, we came to the following results: the DRR-relevant content in the geography curriculum standards that used for analysis in this research had undergone constant changes and finally reached a relatively stable state; the changes of DRR-relevant contents in primary school, middle school, and high school curriculum presented different characteristics. In the future geography curriculum reform, it is necessary to realize that the term disaster does not describe the natural event per se, but instead its impact on/consequences for infrastructure and society. It is bound to add more DRR-relevant content that belongs to the “action” dimension and the ‘participation’ dimension, especially at the primary and middle school stages, and to systematically incorporate the DRR-relevant content of the “integration” dimension into the school geography curriculum.

Highlights

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has been identified as “the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events” [1]
This paper examines how DRR is transmitted through geography education by investigating the content evolution and integration approach of DRR in the Chinese school geography curriculum
Using the method of qualitative content analysis with the support of the software NVivo 12, we came to the following results: the DRR-relevant content in the geography curriculum standards that used for analysis in this research had undergone constant changes and reached a relatively stable state; at the primary school stage, the DRR-relevant content in the geography curriculum standards was too thin; at the middle school stage, the DRR-relevant content in the geography curriculum standards emphasized too much on knowledge; at the high school stage, the DRR-relevant content in the geography curriculum standards gradually became comprehensive and balanced along with the curriculum reform

Summary

Introduction

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) has been identified as “the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events” [1]. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). 2015–2030 which was adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster. Researches have demonstrated that the incorporation of DRR into formal education could be an effective way to reduce disaster risk [3]. “to promote the incorporation of disaster risk knowledge, including disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation, in formal education at all levels” [2] 15) is crucial to achieve the priority 1 of SFDRR. The importance of Disaster Risk Reduction Education (DRRE) has been emphasized in several international agendas, frameworks, conferences, United Nation programs, etc. “to promote the incorporation of disaster risk knowledge, including disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation, in formal education at all levels” [2] (p. 15) is crucial to achieve the priority 1 of SFDRR.

Methods

Results

Conclusion