Disaster risk reduction education that enhances the proactive attitudes of learners: A bridge between knowledge and behavior

Abstract

Research on disaster risk reduction education (hereafter, DRR education) focuses on educational acts that take place between instructors and learners. Current research principally analyzes the knowledge and skills transmitted from instructors to learners, with the expectation that instructors teach learners knowledge and skills so that learners can engage proactively in DRR-related activities and respond appropriately to an actual disaster. However, previous studies have pointed out that increased knowledge and skills do not necessarily lead to behavioral changes in learners. Based on a literature review, the current study discusses why proactive attitudes are not fostered by current DRR education, which is underpinned by three approaches: (1) active instructor/passive learner approach, (2) knowledge-transmission approach, and (3) short-term knowledge evaluation approach. These three approaches, collectively termed the “transmission paradigm, ” inhibits the fostering of a proactive attitude. Hence, this study proposes a new “proactive attitude paradigm” which consists of the (1) instructor/learner fusion approach, (2) participation in a community of practice approach, and (3) long-term commitment evaluation approach. The proactive attitude paradigm suggested in this study has been applied to a teacher training project in Nepal in which teachers developed a proactive attitude toward continuous DRR education. Further practical study of DRR education aimed at closing the gap between knowledge and behavior through adoption of the proactive attitude paradigm will be the focus of future research.