ERIC Number: EJ1369325
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1089-9995
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Teaching Practices around Natural Hazards and Community Resilience in Colorado
Journal of Geoscience Education, v70 n4 p460-473 2022
Increasing extreme weather events in a warming world fuel the need for citizens to understand natural hazards and improve community resilience. We especially need to prepare students for these challenges and increase their understanding of hazard resilience. A teacher needs assessment survey was conducted to identify current teaching practices around natural hazards and community resilience, as well as the needs teachers have with respect to training and educational resources on these topics. Using an intentional sampling strategy of school districts in rural and urban communities across Colorado, we surveyed 279 teachers from all disciplines. Almost 70% of teacher survey respondents currently teach about natural hazards, while only about 30% address community resilience. The most common reasons for not teaching about natural hazards or community resilience included a lack of alignment to the subject they are teaching, the absence of these topics in the standards/curriculum, a lack of time, or a lack of personal background knowledge. Teaching practices included lectures, field trips, and class discussions which focused on the science of natural hazards, social aspects (preparedness and impacts), and using current or past events. Science teachers are the most likely to teach about natural hazards and urban teachers are more likely to teach about both hazards and community resilience. Awareness of relevant educational resources was associated with a higher rate of teachers addressing community resilience. Results imply teachers' need for effective and place-conscious educational resources in order to build more resilience in students and thus help communities prepare for natural hazards.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Natural Disasters, Resilience (Psychology), Weather, Needs Assessment, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Surveys, Faculty Development, School Districts, Alignment (Education), Educational Resources, Place Based Education, Community Characteristics, Teacher Characteristics, Urban Areas, Rural Areas, Suburbs
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (DOC)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Colorado; Colorado (Denver)
Grant or Contract Numbers: NA18SEC0080007; NA17OAR4320101
Author Affiliations: N/A