Year Student Knowledge, Awareness and Risk Perceptions of Coastal Hazards Anna At
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The role of formal education in shaping first- year student knowledge, awareness and risk perceptions of coastal hazards A study of first-year undergraduate students at UNSW Sydney, Australia Anna Attard A thesis in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy School of Biological Earth and Environmental Science Faculty of Science December 2020 0 1 Abstract The role of formal education in shaping a person’s awareness, knowledge and risk perceptions of climate change is well defined. This thesis presents a pilot study which specifically investigates first-year university student knowledge of the effects of climate change on coastal hazards, and how high school education or choice of university degree may influence, or reflect, student levels of coastal hazard literacy, from a human geography perspective. A survey of first-year undergraduate students identified disparate awareness of how climate change will impact the magnitude and frequency of coastal erosion, coastal inundation, sea level rise and severe coastal storms. The survey findings were compared to similar results of general coastal users in New South Wales (Attard et al., 2019) and accepted science. No relationships were found between first-year student knowledge of coastal hazards and associated risks and high school study of coastal hazards, or chosen area of study at university. Four educational disconnects were identified relating to: i) high school education about coastal hazards and primary drivers; ii) education about coastal hazards between junior and senior high school years; iii) student confidence in their knowledge of coastal hazards and their demonstrated understanding of these topics; iv) information gained through formal and informal educational sources. These educational disconnects present an argument that high school curricula could enhance student awareness and risk perception about coastal hazards through a stronger focus on the interconnected nature of coastal hazards and climate change, and personally relevant information about the impacts of coastal hazards. Stronger engagement of students at high school and university about personally relevant impacts of climate change, such as the impacts of coastal hazards that are presently experienced along much of the NSW coast, may lead to an increase in community understanding, acceptance of adaptation options, and better prepare coastal communities and future management professionals to adapt to climate change related coastal hazards. 1 Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................... 2 List of Figures .......................................................................................................... 4 List of Tables ........................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 7 1.1 Motivation for Study ........................................................................................ 9 1.2 Aims and Hypotheses................................................................................... 13 1.3 Location of study and student cohort ............................................................ 15 1.4 Thesis outline ............................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2. Literature Review ................................................................................. 20 2.1 The role of education in public understanding of coastal hazards and climate change science............................................................................... 22 2.2 Mental models .............................................................................................. 34 2.3 Psychological distancing of natural hazards ................................................. 40 2.4 Heuristics and cognitive bias ........................................................................ 43 2.5 Community engagement and the NSW coastal community .......................... 47 2.6 Coastal hazards in New South Wales ........................................................... 51 2.6.1. Living on the NSW coast ....................................................................... 52 2.6.2 Sea level rise ......................................................................................... 52 2.6.3 Severe coastal storms ........................................................................... 56 2.6.4 Coastal erosion ...................................................................................... 58 2.6.5 Coastal inundation ................................................................................. 60 2.6.6 Coastal hazard management in NSW .................................................... 62 2.7 Summary of key knowledge gaps ................................................................. 64 Chapter 3. Methods ............................................................................................... 66 3.1 Pilot survey ................................................................................................... 67 3.2 Primary survey tool ....................................................................................... 70 3.2.1 Survey structure ..................................................................................... 70 3.2.2 Survey distribution ................................................................................. 72 3.2.3 Data analysis ......................................................................................... 73 2 Chapter 4. Results ................................................................................................. 75 4.1. Respondent demographics and area of university study .............................. 77 4.2. Previous high school education and coastal usage ..................................... 79 4.2.1 High school education ............................................................................ 79 4.2.2 Residential distance from coast and coastal usage ................................ 85 4.2.3 Risk perceptions of threats to future use of the coast ............................. 88 4.3. First-year student understanding of coastal hazards and risks .................... 92 4.3.1 Natural hazard risk perceptions.............................................................. 92 4.3.2 Sea level rise ......................................................................................... 94 4.3.3 Severe coastal storms ........................................................................... 98 4.3.4 Coastal inundation ................................................................................103 4.3.5 Coastal erosion .....................................................................................105 4.4. Talking about coastal hazards ....................................................................108 Chapter 5. Discussion ...........................................................................................110 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................111 5.1.1 Key findings ..........................................................................................114 5.2 High school education disconnects about coastal hazards and their drivers 116 5.2.1 Disconnect 1: Education about coastal hazards and their drivers..........117 5.2.2 Disconnect 2: Junior and senior high school education .........................120 5.2.3 Disconnect 3: First-year student confidence and demonstrated knowledge of coastal hazards and risks ................................................122 5.2.4 Disconnect 4: Formal education and other sources of information about coastal hazards ...........................................................................123 5.3 Area of first-year student study and risk perceptions ...................................126 5.4 First-year student awarenes, knowledge and risk perception of coastal hazards .............................................................................................................128 5.4.1 Sea level rise ........................................................................................129 5.4.2 Severe coastal storms ..........................................................................132 5.4.3 Coastal inundation ................................................................................134 5.4.4 Coastal erosion .....................................................................................136 5.5 Study implications .......................................................................................138 5.6 Study limitations ..........................................................................................141 Chapter 6. Conclusions .........................................................................................144 6.1 Thesis recommendations ............................................................................147 References ...........................................................................................................149 Appendix A: Primary Survey Tool .........................................................................169 3 List of Figures Figure 1.1. Coastal erosion and infrastructure damage at Narrabeen/Collaroy Beach in Sydney’s Northern Beaches caused by the June 6-8, 2016 East Coast Low coastal