Quantifying the impact of educational methods for disaster risk reduction: a longitudinal study assessing the impact of teaching methods on student hazard perceptions

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education programmes are essential for raising awareness of the factors driving the risk of disaster. Criticism of past DRR education studies emphasises two key issues; short-termism and an inability to assess impact of outcomes. We use the Pictorial Representation of Illness & Self-Measure (PRISM) survey method to quantify changing student perception of multi-disaster risk in response to different educational methods. From two secondary schools in Roseau, Dominica, we have carried out a longitudinal study, comparing the perceptions of the same student cohort during a 3-year period. Results show a relatively constant perception of disaster risk over time, influenced by experience of low frequency, high impact events, causing either intensification or decay of disaster risk perception. Understanding links between disaster risks is poorly understood. Participatory field-based decision-making exercises had the greatest impact on student awareness of disaster risk, particularly toward low-frequency geophysical risks. Context-relevant practical exercises, bespoke-designed for local use, are necessary for high-impact CCDRR educational approaches.