CHAPTER 9

Practical Knowledge in High School Students—Sufficient for Disaster Readiness or Not

The Bangladesh Perspective

Md Zahir Ahmed

Policy Research Centre, Dhaka

Akbaruddin Ahmad

Policy Research Centre, Dhaka

Oli Ahmed

Department of Psychology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong

Introduction

Bangladesh is a natural disaster–prone country of an area about 1,47,570 sq. km with population over 160 million (Ministry of Finance 2015) with a population growth of 1.18 percent (Worldometers 2017). Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries of the world. The population density here is 1,077/km² (Ministry of Finance 2015). Due to its geographic and geologic setting it has a long history of both natural and man-made disasters such as floods, cyclones, droughts, tidal surges, tornadoes, river erosion, high arsenic content in ground water, waterlogging, soil salinity, fire, collapse of buildings, and many more. Disasters cause massive misfortune to people through death, injuries, harm to properties, livelihood, and financial circumstances. The country faces at least one major disaster a year. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries due to climate change because of its geo-location. Loss of property and lives from natural calamities is very common in Bangladesh. Adopting with, the way Bangladesh is adopting with this massive problem is unique. Bangladesh has the lack of all sorts of resources to cope with climate change and natural disasters but is blessed with the resilience of people. Because of this community resilience, Bangladesh has become a role model in adopting with the disasters to the world. But this is the era of sustainable development in terms of disaster management (DM), so textbook knowledge is a must go alongside the resilience. In countries like Bangladesh, DM is mostly done by the local and community volunteers and this huge portion completely comes from students. To make this effective working force more efficient, it is very important to give them proper training and education. For providing the training, the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has the program of developing urban community volunteers. With the cooperation and supervision of Fire Service & Civil Defense (FSCD), Government of Bangladesh has developed 62,000 volunteers of this kind. But this program is only for the urban areas so to cover all the areas alternative method is required.

Addressing the importance of having disaster risk reduction (DRR) knowledge, we are considering the textbook knowledge so important for the world’s one of the most disaster-prone areas. It has lost on average 3.02 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) every year during the last 10 years and holds the highest disaster mortality rate in the world (see Figure 9.1).

With a per capita income of US$1,602 (www.mof.gov.bd), Bangladesh experiences a very high physical and social vulnerability. Most of the dense areas are noted for lower socioeconomic conditions along with being disaster-prone as well. Climate change along with the unethical and criminal activities of some immoral people add a new dimension to community risks and vulnerabilities. As a result, Bangladesh now sits at the top of the global climate risk index.

Figure 9.1 Internationally reported losses 1990 to 2014 of Bangladesh by disasters

Source: Basic Country Statistics and Indicators (Prevention Web 2015).

Study Background

The Ministry of Education placed emphasis on climate change studies along with the DM and DRR. There has been a notable focus on DM and climate change in the 2010 National Education Policy. In all levels of education, the policy has broadened the study and research on the disaster and climate change issue. According to the policy principle no. 18 of National Education Policy 2010 by the Ministry of Education, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh:

to build student as skilled human resources to fight the challenges of the world threatened by climate change and other natural disasters and to create in them a social awareness about environment. (Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2010)

According to the National Disaster Management and Disaster Risk Reduction strategy, Bangladesh has merged its educational curriculum with DRR education. It has an exceptional and intensive school education module with similar reading materials being utilized across the country. The National Curriculum and Text Book Board (NCTB) has presented disaster and environmental change–related topics (i.e., hazards, vulnerability, preparedness) inside parts in various different course books, for example, Bangla, English, Social Science, General Science. The examples of topics included in lessons in primary schools and high schools are in Table 9.1, and examples of topics included in textbooks are in Table 9.2.

Table 9.1 Disaster-related lessons in Bangladesh

Source: Government of Bangladesh (2010).

Table 9.2 Disaster-related lessons in the textbooks of high school

Source: National Curriculum and Textbook Board, Ministry of Education, Bangladesh (2017).

Lessons inside reading material are frequently refreshed and checked on by the NCTB to make them more hazard administration situated. Considering there are four distinctive geo-climatic zones in Bangladesh and that diverse districts are influenced by various types of risks (for instance, drought in the north; cyclones and tidal surges in the south, waterway disintegration and flooding in the central area). Given these regional distinctions, it is extremely sketchy whether course textbooks can adaptably address specific provincial and local perils. Thus, one must question the practical knowledge on DM and DRR being presented to students to gain effective learning outcomes and competencies among the high school students.

Research Question and the Objectives of the Study

The present study aimed to find an answer for the level of adequacy of DM-related knowledge in high school textbooks in the Bangladesh school system. To be more specific, the research questions are:

The present work studied the relevance and adequacy of the practical knowledge on DM and DRR among high school students with the immediate association and legitimate connection with their textual knowledge. Other objectives of the study were as follows:

Significance of the Study

The findings of the present study question the ability of the country to adapt to disasters and disaster resilience strength by assessing the knowledge in high school students. From the general public in disaster-prone nations, there is an interest in community volunteers as the principal responders. In such manner, students are given to make up a significant portion of the main functional team, so having sound knowledge of DM is essential for the high school students to ensure effective disaster resilience. Thus, authorities that apply the recommended approach derived from the results of this study will be able to know the actual knowledge outcomes for the high school students toward DM. Educationists and education policy makers will be guided on what should be emphasized to include or modify in the textbooks regarding DM and resilience. For the researcher/s, the study will help them uncover critical areas regarding students that many researchers were not able to explore. Thus, a new horizon of DM knowledge, which is actually directly connected to the disaster resilience, may be arrived at.

Literature Review

DRR in the worldwide setting that is molded by the Hyogo Framework of Action, which was received by 168 member nations in 2005. Need three of its five focuses says the system is to “use knowledge, innovation, and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels" (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction 2005, p. 22). As a cost-effective approach, necessity of the DRR has been recognized by Bangladesh to improve the level of preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation in disaster-prone areas (Disaster Management Bureau 2010).

In 2010, the Government of Bangladesh prepared a five-year national plan for DM. To reduce the risk of disaster-prone areas’ both types of disasters (natural calamities and man-made hazards), an emergency response system for handling these disasters was established. A core emphasis of this plan was to increase the awareness of the people and make preparedness strategies consistent with community involvement.

As an important medium to increase the awareness to disaster preparedness and an effective way to communicate the plan, the National Education Policy (National Curriculum and Textbook Board, Ministry of Education, Bangladesh 2010) by the Government of Bangladesh included disaster preparedness among its 30 aims and objectives for national education. Disaster readiness was introduced in 2004. The National Curriculum and Textbook Board introduced disaster and climate change–related chapters within textbooks in a range of subjects at various grade levels after the announcement by the Ministry of Education in 2014 that disaster preparedness would be integrated in more texts. As textbooks are written well and covered a large amount of material, the approach spearheaded by NCTB raises a number of important issues (Kagawa and Selby 2014). The questions related to access to disaster readiness curriculum indicates the question of vertical curricular progression. The chapters of the textbooks do not convey any sense of considered development and deepening of understanding of disaster risk through the grade levels (Kagawa and Selby 2014). There is lack of sequence and continuity to the content of disaster readiness grade by grade. There are some themes that are taught at primary level as well as in the secondary level. So, a question arises about the sufficiency of knowledge in textbooks. However, Chowdhury, Sarwar, and Muhibullah (2013) suggested that it is not necessarily a problem, but progression must be there in terms of complexity and scope, which are related to students’ maturity and prior knowledge and understanding. For example, the cyclone poem in the grade 5 Bangla language textbook is not embedded in DRR understanding; it is just a poem (Kagawa and Selby 2014). If we take a quick view to the textbooks and compare these with other topics in these textbooks, we may identify these as standing in islands of knowledge disconnected from a framework of disaster readiness learning outcomes. This is true both through the grade levels and between subjects.

Conveyed knowledge and information through the use of textbooks is organized within the restrictive confines of traditional academic disciplines with an emphasis on what matters to each discipline. The approach is multidisciplinary that one is applying the lens of a variety of subjects to disaster readiness but falling short to consider how the learning from each subject relates to and raises learning challenges within other subjects (Selby and Kagawa 2012). It appears that writers and contributors of NCTB’s textbooks are wedded to a narrow and traditional view of a general education program rather than taking to heart the demands of education for sustainable development’ (Chowdhury, Sarwar, and Muhibullah 2013). Another problem is that schools in Bangladesh emphasize in memorization and getting good grade. So, it presents challenges to disaster-related readiness program knowledge in textbooks related to application of that knowledge in practical life. If we cannot apply our gathered knowledge to our life, it will be considered as insufficient knowledge.

Chowdhury (2017) conducted a study in Dhaka city, Bangladesh, on disaster preparedness. This research aimed to analyze disaster preparedness in both prepared policies by the government and practices related to urban hazards in Dhaka city. Researcher in this study examined the role of government and different nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to implement the policies. It was recommended that success of the policies and strategies implemented by government depended on proper and efficient monitoring and implementation. To reduce the cost of hazards, proper mechanism should be introduced in both organizational and individual levels.

Methodology

Sample Size and the Target Group

Since the study was aiming to focus on the adequacy of DRR knowledge in the high school textbooks, so we did not go for the random sampling. In this regard, we have found quota sampling as the best suits. These specific subgroups were the high schools students. Besides, we have focused on the gender and residential differences. The sample comprised 400 high school students. They were selected, as sample, purposively on the basis of two basic criteria. The first and absolute one was the gender (e.g., boy and girl), the next one was the residence (e.g., urban and rural). Since DM and DRR is all about the community engagement, so we emphasized on levels 8, 9, and 10. We did not use levels 6 and 7 due to the maturity issue on the textual knowledge. If we illustrate the sample in statistical way, then 50 percent (200) respondents were from urban area and 50 percent (200) of rural. On the gender basis, 50 percent (200) were boys and 50 percent (200) girls. Among the boys, 40 percent (80) were from class 8, 30 percent (60) from class 9, and 30 percent (60) from class 10. The overall statistics of boys and girls were identical. Their age ranged from 13 years to 17 years.

Instrument

To gather necessary information for the present study, the Bangla of DRR and DM Knowledge Questionnaire for High School Students (Tuladhar et al. 2014) was used. To make it more representable to Bangladeshi perspective, it is so composed that one section of it consists of four quantitative and one qualitative items, which were systematically adopted and included in the main measure as well. The questionnaire was in Bangla, and it went through proper back translation process.

DM Knowledge Scale for High School Students

DRR and DM Knowledge Scale for high school students comprises five sections. The very first one is entitled Disaster-Related Concerns, which has three items or statements. The next section is Readiness Behavior with seven items; the next one is Adaptation with Disasters with seven items. The following section is Disaster Awareness with seven items and the last section is entitled Disaster Risk Preparedness, which has four items. For each item, the respondents were asked to indicate their responses at three possible levels: Yes, No and Don’t Know.

Additional Section

To make the measure more conceptualized with the study, an additional section entitled Textual Knowledge was adopted with four quantitative and one qualitative items. The levels remain same; Yes, No and Don’t Know for the first four items but the fifth item was qualitative, which allows the respondents the freedom to write in brief about what else is/are required to include in their textbooks related to DM.

Study Design

The cross-sectional survey design was used in the present study. Actually, cross-sectional survey gathers information to make derivations about a populace of enthusiasm at one point in time. It has been depicted as previews of the populaces about which they accumulate information. It might be rehashed intermittently; in any case, in a rehashed cross-sectional survey, respondents to the study at one point in time are not purposefully examined once more, in spite of the fact that a respondent to one organization of the study could be haphazardly chosen for a consequent one. Cross-sectional surveys would thus be able to be stood out from board studies, that is why individual respondents are taken for the long run. Board reviews, for the most part, are directed to gauge the change in the populace being considered.

Procedure

For collecting data for the questionnaire was administrated with the help of six separate teams altogether simultaneously. For the urban areas, we chose schools from Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet, and for rural areas Tangail, Bhola, and Satkhira. Since this present study is disaster focused, so we chose the most disaster-prone areas. Respondents were given a brief written instruction along with the questionnaire (28 quantitative items and one qualitative or descriptive item). They were assured verbally that the information collected from them would be strictly confidential and would be used only for disaster-related research. Respondents were asked to read the questionnaire and express their feelings accordingly. They expressed their opinion by putting tick (√) mark in the appropriate response boxes, those boxes which were best fit to their opinion. After completing their task, they were thanked for their cooperation.

Data Analysis

As said in methodology, fundamentally three sorts of dimensions have been investigated through percentage tests to explore general DRR information of high school students in Bangladesh. The impacts of gender orientation and residential difference were taken care of in the analysis by a comparative process (male/female; urban/rural). The collected data on textual knowledge on DM were subjected to percentage tests in order to examine whether there were any differences in gender orientation and residential position on disaster-related textual practical knowledge.

Results are presented in the following sections. Final questionnaire results are given in Tables 9.1 to 9.4. The study revealed some significant and critical factors regarding student perceptions of DM. The findings are very important for disaster-prone areas like Bangladesh. The first analysis is on the basis of overall situation of knowledge of disaster and its management, where 30.2 percent of the participants are aware of disasters, 29.9 percent think that they are ready to deal with disasters, 22.1 percent think that the knowledge of preparing disaster in their textbooks and dealing with disasters is adequate. The eventual result for the overall percentages of all sections is presented in Table 9.3.

Table 9.3 The overall percentage of all sections

As we have six particular sections of the questionnaire, we have analyzed each section separately.

Disaster-Related Concerns in which we have conducted study of overall knowledge and concern toward sustainable DM. For this particular section, we have found 96.7 percent as positive response. The next section is Readiness Behavior; where we have found 70.8 percent to be positive, Yes-type response. For the Adaptation with Disasters section; we have found 70.9 percent positive response from the participants. For the Disaster Awareness section; we have found alarmingly just 30.2 percent positive, Yes-type responses. The next one is Disaster Risk Preparations, where we have found 29.9 percent positive response. For the last section, Textual Knowledge, we have found less positive feedback, which is 22.1 percent. The overall result for all sections has been presented in Table 9.4.

Table 9.4 The overall results by sections

In the present study, we have also laid emphasize upon the gender difference in all the sections. We have found for Disaster-Related Concerns 73.2 percent responded Yes for boy; on the other hand, 67.1 percent responded Yes for girl. For the section Readiness Behavior, 74.2 percent responded Yes for boy; on the other hand, 67.1 percent responded Yes for girl. For the Adaptation with Disasters section; 76.4 percent responded Yes for boy; on the other hand, 65.3 percent responded Yes for girl. For the Disaster Awareness section, 34.2 percent responded Yes and 58.2 percent responded No for boy; on the other hand, 26.2 percent Yes and 60.1 percent No for girl. For the Disaster Risk Preparations section, 34 percent responded Yes and 45.5 percent No for boy; on the other hand, 25.7 percent Yes and 54.9 percent No for girl. For the last section, Textual Knowledge, 27 percent responded Yes and 52.3 percent No for boy; on the other hand, 17 percent Yes and 54 percent No for girl.

The results for the gender difference factor of the present study have been presented in Table 9.5.

Table 9.5 Gender differences

To cover all the dimensions, we have added the residential factor (urban/rural) where we found significant differences. In the Disaster-Related Concerns section, participants from urban areas responded 80.5 percent Yes and those from rural areas responded 58.8 percent Yes; in the Readiness Behavior section, from urban 71.7 percent and from rural areas 69.7 percent responded Yes; in the Adaptations to Disasters section, 78.2 percent from urban areas and 63.5 percent from rural areas responded Yes; in the Disaster Awareness section, 38.4 percent from urban areas and 22 percent from rural areas responded Yes; in the Disaster Risk Preparations section, 39.3 percent from urban and 20.5 percent from rural areas responded Yes; and in the Textual Knowledge section, 24.2 percent from urban, and 19.9 percent from rural areas responded Yes. The residential differences are shown in Table 9.6.

Table 9.6 Residential differences by percentage

Table 9.7 Response regarding to the open-ended question (multiple responses)

From the responses to the open-ended question, the respondents’ recommendations are shown in Table 9.7. Besides these, they recommended an extensive training program along with textbook knowledge about DRR. In the open-ended question, they have asked whether they are satisfied with the textbook knowledge along with the sustainable solution. In response, they have informed us that the textbook knowledge is inadequate and that they need practical training and orientation as well.

Discussion

The present study was conducted to uncover the significance of understanding DM and of DRR knowledge among the high school students of both urban and rural zones of Bangladesh. For DM and DRR knowledge, we have focused on the youth of the general populace since they are easier to shape in the building of DM practices alongside sound information of DRR. Children and youth are the part of the population that are most severely affected by disasters, as they can easily panic and become difficult to manage during emergencies or crises, especially when a school or a house catches fire (Hassanain 2006). As per the educational institutions and other developmental agencies (e.g., INGO, NGO, UN), organizations guarantee that the DM and DRR concept is being implemented within the national educational curriculum of Bangladesh. All high school students and some at the primary level are picking up the learning about the importance of these key issues.

The present study was intended to identify any viable knowledge gaps as introduced in the national educational modules of Bangladesh for the high school students regarding DM and DRR information. In other words, is the learning, which is guaranteed by the government and other developmental agencies, appropriate or does it provide practical knowledge that can be applied when required? Sufficiency of DRR knowledge comes into question when the practicality comes to be the concern. So, the present study was conducted to explore the sufficiency of DRR knowledge.

The research findings suggest some noteworthy and alarming results in respect of the overall percentage. For example, 30.2 percent of aggregate examination populace were disaster aware; 29.9 percent were prepared with the challenges of DM and DRR, and 22.1 percent were satisfied with the textual knowledge regarding the DM and DRR knowledge incorporated in their educational programs. Actually the 30.2 percent of study population who are disaster aware are well-informed about disaster and its aftermath but they are not properly ready to take all the challenges to manage the disasters. The main role of this population is to assist the mainstream operation mainly operated by the Ministry of Disaster Management and several other agencies, that is, Fire Service and Civil Defense, Bangladesh Armed Forces. Another alarming part is just 29.9 percent of the population are ready to take any challenges to manage the disasters and assist the responsible departments of Bangladesh. The willingness of the youth of Bangladesh is enormous but the question is how much efficient they are! Since they are acting as the active agents and first party responders, so the government of Bangladesh took that seriously and is providing them with proper training through the urban volunteer’s program. Again, it has been highlighted that the resources of the government are limited here, so it is quite difficult to bring each and every student under the training program. So, for generalized information dissemination, textbook knowledge is most effective. Unfortunately, the gradual DM knowledge in the textbooks of Bangladesh is not up to the mark and many things remain unclear to the students. They remain unaware: only 22.1 percent students responded as satisfied with the textbook knowledge regarding DM and climate change matters. If we deeply investigate then it will be revealed that this 22.1 percent have already received training, so they have a clear idea of DM although the textbook knowledge is not clear to their counterparts. Almost each and every high school student expect practical knowledge alongside the textbook knowledge for at least their self-defense during the course of natural and man-made disasters. And there is the strong correlation we have found between the textbook knowledge and disaster preparedness. For the other three sections, Disaster-Related Concerns, Readiness Behavior, Adaptations with Disasters, Disaster Awareness seems to be workable for now for the overall study population. Results suggested some noteworthy and alarming findings, for example in respect of the overall percentage, 30.2 percent of aggregate examination populace were disaster aware; 29.9 percent were prepared with the challenges of DM and DRR, and 22.1 percent were satisfied with the textual knowledge regarding the DM and DRR knowledge incorporated in their educational programs. For the other three sections, Disaster-Related Concerns, Readiness Behavior, Adaptations with Disasters, Disaster Awareness seems to be alright for now for the overall study population.

Females are now in typical circumstances: more vulnerable, more burdened, more avoided from basic leadership, decision–making, and over the courses of any. For any nations amid the disasters, they are vulnerable to sexual assault, prostitution, and even child marriage to diminish the part to encourage. Also, that is the reason the misfortune rate is equivalently more than their male partner. Despite the fact that the world is looking for an indiscriminative domain, however, for the underdeveloped and developing nations like Bangladesh girls are helpless and denied in all means. For the poor socioeconomic conditions, the girls remain neglected so they never are the part of preparedness for disasters, that is, swimming, search and rescue operations, climbing tree. These current sexual orientation disparities are additionally found in the disaster readiness phase. The guardians let not enable their girls to participate in preparing or readiness measures while they are extremely ready for their male one. The readiness ought to be sans predisposition on the grounds that every single one of the general public could contribute over the courses of disasters. But because of these social stigmas, we have found that the girls are backward in disaster preparedness and the frequency or rate is quite significant. In gender differences related analysis for section by section, Disaster-Related Concerns 73.2 percent responded as Yes for boy; on the other hand, 67.1 percent Yes for girl. For Readiness Behavior section 74.2 percent responded as Yes for boy; on the other hand, 67.1 percent responded Yes for the girl. For the Adaptation with Disasters section; 76.4 percent responded as Yes for boy; on the other hand, 65.3 percent responded Yes for girl. For the Disaster Awareness section, 34.2 percent responded Yes and 58.2 percent responded No for boy; on the other hand, 26.2 percent responded Yes and 60.1 percent responded No for girl. For the Disaster Risk Preparations section, 34 percent responded Yes and 45.5 percent responded No for boy; on the other hand, 25.7 percent responded Yes and 54.9 percent responded No for girl. For the last section, Textual Knowledge, 27 percent responded Yes and 52.3 percent responded No for boy; on the other hand, 17 percent responded Yes and 54 percent responded No for girl. From this, it is clearly illustrated that male or boy’s knowledge over DM and DRR is better than the female or girl students. In every section, we have seen some notable differences among two groups. The matter DRR and DM is knowledge-based and training–driven, so incorporating with the training program/s essential for the learners to become a significant community volunteer or active member of DM. But we have seen the reluctance of the female or girls to be incorporated with such. Besides, the dependency mentality of the female and protective mentality of male lead to such gender differences in DM and DRR.

Differences in residence type indicate that, for Disaster-Related Concerns had 80.5 percent yes responses for urban study sample; on the other hand, 58.8 percent rural study sample responded yes. In Readiness Behavior section, there were 71.7 percent yes responses for urban study sample; on the other hand, 69.7 percent rural study sample responded yes. For the Adaptation with Disasters section, there were 78.2 percent yes responses for urban study sample; on the other hand, 63.5 percent rural study sample responded yes. For the Disaster Awareness section, 38.4 percent yes, and 52.6 percent no responses for urban study sample; on the other hand, 22 percent yes and 65.7 percent no responses for rural sample. In the Disaster Risk Preparations section, 39.3 percent yes and 41 percent no responses for urban sample; on the other hand, 20.57 percent yes and 59.5 percent no responses for rural sample. For the last section, Textual Knowledge, there were 24.4 percent yes and 56 percent no responses for urban study sample; on the other hand, 19.9 percent yes; 50.8 percent no responses for rural sample. From this result, it is clearly illustrated that urban student’s knowledge over DM and DRR is better than the rural area’s students. In every section, we have seen some notable differences among two groups. But the three sections Disaster-Related Concerns, Disaster Awareness, and Disaster Risk Preparations are more conflicting with their results because the differences are 21.7 percent; 16.4 percent, and 18.8 percent, respectively. For the last couple of decades, the concepts of disaster resilience and disaster preparedness gained several dimensions. Although it was only the humanitarian concept but now the concept is beyond that. It turns into political, social, and economic dimensions to some extent. Because of this continuous mode-changing procedures, media has taken a vital initiative to make people aware of adopting to disasters. For developing countries like Bangladesh, lack of resources also hinders the easy access to media for the rural areas. Even today most of the rural people from this country have no access to satellite television. Besides, understanding the complexities of urbanization numbers of research have been conducted for the urban areas. Since the urban residence is more complex than that of rural, so the resilience modules also developed there carefully. Again, we have to address the matter of resource lacking because the disaster preparedness and resilience in urban areas depend on the mobilization of financial or economic capital and in contrast for the rural areas it is the social capital which works in real. So, strategically the people from urban areas are more disaster-ready and resilient than that of rural areas and that matter is clearly illustrated in this particular result section.

Yet, there was one thing common for all participants—male or female, urban or rural—and that is of textbook knowledge. This is a concern. The results clearly and significantly showed that irrespective of gender or residential status everybody believes that the textbook knowledge on DM and DRR are inadequate. As stated in many of the comment further training of a more practical manner is wanted. Application as well as knowledge is required.

Conclusion

The present study aimed at uncovering the DM and DRR knowledge among high school students of both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. It also investigated the discrepancy within textbook knowledge regarding the DM and DRR among the high school students from both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Study results show, 30.2 percent of aggregate examination populace were disaster aware; 29.9 percent were prepared with the challenges of DM and DRR, and 22.1 percent were satisfied with the textual knowledge regarding the DM and DRR knowledge incorporated in their educational programs. For the other three sections, Disaster-Related Concerns, Readiness Behavior, Adaptations with Disasters, Disaster Awareness seems to be alright for now for the overall study population. We observed significant differences on the basis of gender and residential location. Although the males and the respondents from urban areas found more front forwarding toward DM but there was one thing common for all of male, female, urban, or rural and that is of textual knowledge. Since this is the main concern for the present study, where only Textual Knowledge clearly and significantly showed that everybody believes irrespective of gender that the textual knowledge on DM and DRR are inadequate for practical situations. This happened mostly because of the man-made disasters. For last couple of the years the students and dwellers of urban areas have experienced enormous man-made disasters than the rural areas. So the preparedness among these areas is better than the rural areas. The positivity toward DM was found more among male students because of their participation in DM and DRR-related voluntary works more than female students. This is not a matter of negligence from female students’ side. Whereas the participation of male students is more expected due to the social mechanism. Another important factor was residential difference, where we have found the positivity of urban area’s students were more than the rural areas. So, textbooks need to play a vital role to minimize this knowledge discrepancy.

Recommendations

Some recommendations, in light of the responses in the open-ended questions, are as follows:

Limitations of the Study

Data has been gathered from six specific regions of Bangladesh. We consider information accumulation was constrained, so its generalizability of the investigation is limited. Cross-sectional survey design yet another constraint. The issue, which confronted more often than not amid the finishing of the survey was a constraint of time. The examination was directed in a constrained day and age of 2.5 months. The sample size needs to be more comprehensive so that the results can be applied to the whole nation. The rural respondents were not as willing to participate as were urban respondents. For the qualitative question; the respondents were reluctant to put down their opinion. We have faced immense problems gathering data from several agencies. While adopting the scale, there were some procedural problems.

References

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APPENDIX

English Version of DRR Questionnaire for School Students

(Tuladhar et al. 2014)

Dear Student,

You are warmly welcome to this disaster adhering research. In this present research questionnaire, you shall be asked some written questions. You task is to find the best suit among the options Yes/No/Don’t Know. I expect that you have understood you task.

Thanks again for extending your warm cooperation towards this research work.

Biographic Information: