Using Technology to Motivate At-Risk Students To
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Social Studies Research and Practice http://www.socstrp.org Hazard Education in 4th to 7th Grade Social Studies Courses in Turkey Adem Öcal Aksaray University, Turkey Turkey is located in one of the most significant active seismic regions in the world. The country also is subject to many other natural and manmade disasters. In 2004, the Turkish Primary Education curriculum was revised radically with hazard education being included in social studies programs. The aim of the hazard education program is to reduce the disastrous effects of disasters, develop greater hazard awareness and increase students’ knowledge of how to protect themselves when a hazard occurs. This study focuses on the aims, design and delivery of the hazard education component to fourth to seventh grade students in social studies courses in Turkey. Key words: earthquake education, elementary education, disaster, hazard education, social studies, Turkey Introduction disaster’s events (Karancı, 1999). Studies have shown that following a disaster, there can be azard education encompasses a wide changes in the social structure of communities range of natural and man-made dis- such as an increase in the divorce rate, relative H asters that create an emergency situa- changes in spiritual beliefs, and a decreasing tion. Natural disasters such as floods, earth- trust in state organizations (Kasapoğlu & quakes, fires, and tornadoes can strike a com- Ecevit, 2001). Disasters can seriously damage munity without warning. Diseases can reach a country’s economy, leading to subsequent pandemic dimensions killing millions of peo- political instability. ple in a region or across the globe in a very Turkey is potentially an extremely hazard- short time. Man-made disasters such as those ous place in which to live due to its geological that occurred at Chernobyl and Bhopal have a state, topographic position, and climate. Ac- dramatic effect on the local population. Terror- cording to the Inventory of Disaster Informa- ist activities such as hijackings, bombings, and tions (IDI, 2008), many types of emergency school shootings are horrific, not only in terms situations occur in Turkey such as earthquakes, of the deaths and injuries, but also in terms of flooding, storms, avalanches, rock fallings, their psychological impact. frost, drought, hail, erosion, global warming, On a global scale, it is the natural disaster climate change, and landslips. There also are that has the most significant and diverse effect anthropogenic hazard events namely: fires, on human beings. The resulting psychological, pandemics, power failures, gas leaks, and economic, and sociological impact can have a chemical spills (p. 10). The U.S. Federal Emer- long-term influence on the community. gency Management Agency (FEMA) defines The psychological effects of disasters may an emergency as, “any unplanned event that lead to cognitive problems, aprosexia, and re- can cause deaths or significant injuries to em- peating or imagining recurring memories of the ployees, customers or the public; or that can Volume 5 Number 1 87 March 2010 Social Studies Research and Practice http://www.socstrp.org shut down your business, disrupt operations, threaten the facility’s financial standing or cause physical or environmental damage, or public image” (1993, p. 6). According to data from the Turkish Gener- total between $9 and $13 billion (Pelling, al Directorate of Disaster Affairs, since 1950, Ozerdem & Barakat, 2002). 29,807 emergency events have occurred with 284,996 people directly affected (Table 1). In Hazard Education Turkey, 99% of the population, 96% of indus- trial areas, and 75% of the power stations are According to the Japan International Coop- located in places accepted as seismically risky eration Agency (JICA) (2004), in order to (Türkoğlu, 2001). The Kocaeli Earthquake, on create sustainable disaster management, people August 17, 1999, may be a significant example should be informed, be conscious of, and pre- showing the extent of the economic effects of pared for hazards. Education is an important the disaster. Damage to the Turkish economy factor in reducing the after effects of disasters. from the Kocaeli Earthquake was estimated to Hazard education should be a continuous pro- cess starting in pre-school, continuing through- Volume 5 Number 1 88 March 2010 Social Studies Research and Practice http://www.socstrp.org out a person’s life. It has been suggested that of children, and improve the readiness of the K-12 classroom level is the most appropri- community (Ronan & Johnston, 2001). ate time to deliver hazard education (Mitchell, In schools, hazard knowledge such as land- 2009). Adem Öcal (2005) defines hazard edu- crust, plate tectonics, meteorological events, cation as an educational process that handles global climate changes, global warming, ter- the hazards, how hazards occur, the effects of rorism, and biological dangers should be hazards, how to prevent hazards, and following taught. Different and inaccurate perceptions a disaster, how to reduce the impact of the may develop in individuals who do not acquire event (p. 171). Neil Dufty (2008) comments hazard knowledge in school (Tsai, 2001). that this education is “any learning process or When students receive instruction and the re- activity that builds community resilience to quired safety measures are taken, they should natural hazards” (p. 4). The knowledge and be able to cope more effectively with hazards. skills required to respond appropriately to Turkey is located in a hazardous region. hazards can be acquired via the curriculum of Sufficient importance, however, has not been formal education institutions for students, given to hazard education. The lack of prepa- teachers, and other school staff through in- redness is responsible for the enormous num- service training, conferences, seminars, and ber of casualties in Turkey in even a moderate exhibitions. disaster event. The 1992 Erzincan earthquake, The relationship between disasters and 6.8 Ms (Medvedev-Sponheur-Karnik scale), education can be examined from different pers- for example, resulted in 653 deaths, 3,850 pectives. Firstly, the effect disasters may have people injured, and 95,000 people becoming on educational services can be considered. homeless. The Senirkent mudslide of 1995 This may be direct physical damage to the en- caused 74 deaths and 2,000 people were ren- vironment where educational services are pro- dered homeless. vided, or negative effects on the educators and After the Kocaeli Earthquake on August their pupils. A second effect indicates the im- 17, 1999, attitudes toward disaster manage- portance of the individuals’ training, and the ment in Turkey changed. Since that time, there school’s role on mitigation of disasters. has been an increased focus on developing In research carried out by Ahmet Rüstemli hazard preparedness activities for the next and Nuray Karancı (1999), people who re- event in both formal and informal education. ceived sufficient hazard education were ob- served to be more prepared and act more con- Hazard Education Standards in sciously in reducing the harmful impact of a Social Studies Courses disaster (p. 95). In another study, people who in Turkish Schools had a greater level of knowledge of earth- quakes were observed to be more participative According to Tom V. Savage and David G. in hazard mitigation activities (Hurnen & Armstrong (2004), the interaction between the McClure, 1997). Countries such as Japan that social and physical environment, understand- have a disaster-ready culture, can cope more ing of natural and human systems, provision of easily with the impact of natural disasters. In geospatial understanding, and place-based re- less prepared countries, such as Algeria and search, are the aims of social studies education, Greece, disasters can turn into huge catastro- particularly geography. Jerry T. Mitchell phes. Hazard education in schools can play a (2009) asserts that by covering the relationship vital role for surviving in a disaster. For that between human beings and the environment reason, it is necessary to prepare for, respond during the elementary education period, social efficiently to a disaster, increase the awareness studies is one of the most suitable courses Volume 5 Number 1 89 March 2010 Social Studies Research and Practice http://www.socstrp.org through which disaster education can be deli- ics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, phi- vered (p. 138). losophy, and diplomacy (Safran, 2008). In Turkey, a social studies program is The content of the Turkish Social Studies taught at a primary level from grades four to Program is grouped according to nine thematic seven and aims to produce responsible adult strands and taught in different units. The citizens. This program requires the individual themes determined by the Turkish Ministry of to adapt to the culture lived in, perform civic Education (MEB) are: “Individual and Socie- duties, be concerned about the environment ty”, “Culture and Heritage”, “People, Places and problems around it, and propose solutions and Environments”, “Production, Consump- to social problems. To achieve the social in- tion, and Distribution”, “Power, Authority, and tegration of the individual, a social studies pro- Society”, “Time, Continuity, and Change”, gram has relationships with other internal dis- “Science, Technology, and Society”, “Groups, ciplines such as history, geography, econom- Institutions, and Social Organizations”, and “Global Connections” (2005a). Hazard