Equipping society for everyday lives: risk experts’ priorities for risk education in secondary schools

Abstract

Risk experts and government agencies have long advocated for the inclusion of risk education as part of formal schooling; however, questions remain as to what risk education is and how it should be taught. Drawing on interviews with eleven risk experts based in scientific institutions and universities, we explored their views and priorities regarding secondary school-based risk education. Analysis of these expert interviews highlighted varied conceptualisations of the nature and purpose of risk education. Priorities for risk education included equipping young people for the risks and uncertainties they will experience as part of their lives. Furthermore, risk experts frequently prioritised probability and uncertainty as topics within risk education but deemed judgement and decision-making as more important to include in risk education. Most risk experts valued schools as a place for risk education, although a minority expressed reservations about the ability of teachers to adequately cover more complex risk material. Future research might helpfully investigate how risk concepts are taught in schools and how teachers believe these concepts can be taught effectively.