AWARENESS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT OF
TEACHER TRAINEES
TEACHER TRAINEES
Aseel Abdul Wahid (Assistant Professor, CICS College of Teacher Education, Calicut & Research Scholar, Karpagam University Coimbatore)
ABSTRACT
Disaster management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters. There is no country that is immune from disaster, though vulnerability to disaster varies. There are two main types of disaster namely natural and man made disasters. Natural disasters are primarily due to natural events like earthquakes, volcanos, floods, tornadoes, typhoons and cyclones. It is possible that certain human activities could maybe aid in some of these events, but, by and large, these are mostly natural events. Man made disasters are mostly caused due to certain human activities. The disasters themselves could be unintentional, but, are caused due to some intentional activity. Most of these are due to nuclear leaks, chemical leaks, terrorist activities and structural collapse etc. Any disaster can interrupt essential services, such as the provision of health care, electricity, water, sewage/garbage removal, transportation and communications. The interruption can seriously affect the health, social and economic networks of local communities and countries. Disasters have a major and long-lasting impact on people long after the immediate effect has been mitigated. Poorly planned relief activities can have a significant negative impact not only on the disaster victims but also on donors and relief agencies. So it is important that physical therapists join established programmes rather than attempting individual efforts.
The educational institution mostly schools and teacher educations are the most effective source to inculcate the awareness by educating the students about disaster management. The awareness inducted in their mind in the very young age itself, will enable them to go a head with it, throughout their life. And they will be able to collect more and more information and knowledge how to face the situations most effectively in the days to come and make a positive attitude towards disaster management. In this view of these facts the investigator tries to find out the depth of awareness in disaster management among teacher trainees of Kerala. The present study was carried out on representative sample of 200 teacher trainees in Calicut District of Kerala State. The results of the study reveal that the awareness in disaster management has significant influence by the gender of the sample and locality of the institute and there is no influence of faculty i.e., science and non science.
INTRODUCTION
Disaster management is a process or strategy that is implemented when any type of catastrophic event takes place. Sometimes referred to as disaster recovery management, the process may be initiated when anything threatens to disrupt normal operations or puts the lives of human beings at risk. It can also be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters
One of the essential elements of disaster management involves defining the types of catastrophes that could possibly disrupt the day to day operation of (human beings) a city, town, business, or country. Identifying those potential disasters makes it possible to create contingency plans, assemble supplies, and create procedures that can be initiated when and if a given disaster does come to pass. A truly comprehensive disaster management plan will encompass a wide range of possibilities that can easily be adapted in the event one disaster sets off a chain reaction of other types of disasters in its wake. Because of the need to continue functioning in emergency situations, disaster management plans are often multi-layered and can address such issues as floods, hurricanes, fires, bombings, and even mass failures of utilities or the rapid spread of disease. The disaster plan is likely to address such as important matters as evacuating people from an impacted region, arranging temporary housing, food, and medical care. It is not unusual for the plan to also work toward containing and possibly neutralizing the root causes of the disaster if at all possible.
The process of disaster management will often address the issue of ongoing communication. Since many disasters can cause communication networks to fail, a competent disaster plan will include the quick setup of alternative communication capabilities that do not rely on the various switches, towers and hubs that are usually part of telephone and cellular communication networks. Often making use of short-wave transmissions that are supported with satellite technology, the communication flow can continue from the area impacted by the disaster to other points where aid can be extended when and as possible.
As part of the crisis management component of a disaster plan, it is not unusual for some type of disaster kit to be developed. The kit may include food and clothing for people who are evacuated from an area that has experienced flooding or extensive damage from a hurricane or tornado. Kits may also include basic medication to help with headaches, fevers, and other minor ailments. In some cases, the kits may include items such as sleeping bags or other necessities that will help displaced persons to cope with the after effects of the disaster.
Creating an effective disaster management plan is often easier said than done. As many nations have learned, what were thought to be comprehensive emergency plans turned out to be partially effective at best? In recent years, many government agencies stretching from the local to the national level have taken steps to revisit the structure of their disaster plans and run computer simulations to identify weaknesses in the plans, and refine them so they can operate with more speed and efficiency.
Teacher trainees and disaster management
Teachers and media play a prominent role in efficient disaster management system which is vital for a suitable future of life on earth. That is the significance of holistic approach for disaster management. Isolated thoughts, preparation, awareness programmes, attitude and other activities should be co-operatively integrated with the participation of all section of the community, for the community, and by the community. The educational institution mostly schools and teacher education institutions are the most effective source to inculcate the awareness by educating the students about disaster management. The awareness inducted in their mind in the very young age itself, will enable them to go ahead with it, throughout their life. And they will be able to collect more and more information and knowledge how to face the situations most effectively in the days to come and make a positive attitude towards disaster management. Children are our future. They must be protected from disasters. A disaster resistance school and home are our moral obligation towards their safety and security. A step taken today in this direction may be helpful for a big leap in future. In this view of these facts the investigator tries to find out the depth of awareness in disaster management among teacher trainees of Kerala.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The present study entitled as "awareness in disaster management of teacher trainees".
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The present study has the following objectives.
1. To find out whether there is any significant difference in the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management for the samples based on gender.
2. To find out whether there is any significant difference in the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management for the samples based on locale.
3. To find out whether there is any significant difference in the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management for the samples based on faculty.
HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
The hypotheses framed and tested for the present study are
1. There will be significant difference in the mean scores of the Awareness in Disaster Management for the samples based on gender.
2. There will be significant difference in the mean scores of the Awareness in Disaster Management for the samples based on locale.
3. There will be significant difference in the mean scores of the Awareness in Disaster Management for the samples based on faculty.
METHODOLOGY
1..Variable of the study
The present study includes the following independent and dependent variables.
Study variable
Awareness in Disaster Management is selected as dependent variable.
Classificatory variable
Gender, locale and faculty of the teacher trainees considered as the classificatory variables.
2. Tools Used for the study
The tools used for the present study is Awareness Test in Disaster Management developed by the researchers. The test item comprising the multiple choice questions only, is intended to measure various types of Disasters and Awareness about Disaster Management.
The dimensions used for preparing the test are classified and described under the categories are:
(i) Natural disasters: The natural disasters involve flood, earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruption, drought, cyclones, fire, Tsunami etc.
(ii) Manmade disasters: The terrorist attacks, chemical and industrial accidents, road, rail and air traffic accidents are different types of manmade disasters.
(iii) Epidemic disasters: The unhygienic water, the decayed flesh, polluted air etc are the main causes spreading the epidemics.
(iv) Environment polluted factors related to disasters: Environmental pollution occurs due to release of chemicals, technological failure, natural activities which include geological activity like earthquakes, natural fires, floods etc. Due to these types of disasters, the environment which include land, water and air will get polluted. Hazardous substance released into the air or water can travel long distances and cause contamination of air, water and, land making it uninhabitable for humans.
(v) Community related safety issues related to disaster: During and immediately after a disaster, it is most often the neighbours or people of the community who respond first. ‘First responders’ are people who are the first to act as a response to disaster situation, usually have basic response skills for medical or other emergencies and are part of community or work closely with it. The first few hours before and after a disaster are critical and precious for saving lives and reducing further injury.
(vi) Rescue and first aid skills: In a post disaster scenario search and rescue has always played a major role in disaster management. It is on strength, capability and effectiveness of search and rescue team that more of human lives could be saved. It is the need of the day that the students have aware about rescue skills and first aid skills; they managed to survive the fury of nature through centuries.
3. Sample selected for the study
The present study was carried out on representative sample of 200 teacher trainees of three Teacher education colleges in Calicut District of Kerala State. The colleges were selected by stratified random sampling method, giving due representation to factors like sex, locale and type of management.
4. Statistical techniques used
The collected data were classified into six groups based on sex, locality and faculty of education. The statistical techniques have been used for the analysis of data in the present study is the test of significance of difference between means scores of awareness in disaster management of the teacher trainees.
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
For the investigation of the whether there is any significant difference exist in the mean score of awareness in disaster management for the samples based on gender, locale and faculty of the teacher trainees mean awareness score, standard deviation and critical ratio are calculated.
Comparison of mean scores of awareness in disaster management based on gender is presented in Table 1.
Table 1
Comparison of Means Scores of awareness in disaster management between male and female teacher trainees
Nature of Sample
|
Sub Samples
|
No. of Samples
|
Mean
|
S.D
|
Critical Ratio
|
Gender
|
Male
|
40
|
26.65
|
8.44
|
2.06*
|
Female
|
160
|
25.16
|
7.04
|
* Significant at 0.05 level
The critical ratio obtained when the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management compared with male and female is 2.06. It was found that significant difference exist in the mean scores of male and female teacher trainees, since the critical ratio is greater than table value (1.96) at 5 percent level of significance. Awareness in Disaster Management is higher for male teacher trainees than females.
Comparison of mean scores of awareness in disaster management based on locale is presented in table 2.
Table 2
Comparison of Means Scores of awareness in disaster management between rural and urban area teacher trainees
Nature of Sample
|
Sub Sample
|
No. of Sample
|
Mean
|
S.D
|
C.R.
|
Locale of the college
|
Rural
|
100
|
29.35
|
7.10
|
9.26*
|
Urban
|
100
|
23.36
|
7.07
|
* Significant at 0.05 level
The critical ratio obtained when the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management compared with rural and urban is 9.26. It was found that significant difference exist in the mean scores of rural and urban teacher trainees, since the critical ratio is greater than table value (1.96) at 5 percent level of significance. Awareness in Disaster Management is higher for rural teacher trainees than urban teacher trainees.
Comparison of mean scores of awareness in disaster management based on faculty is presented in table 3.
Table 3
Comparison of means scores of awareness in disaster management between science and non-science teacher trainees
Nature of Sample
|
Sub Sample
|
No. of Sample
|
Mean
|
S.D
|
C.R.
|
Subject Taught
|
Science
|
90
|
25.35
|
7.99
|
0.855
|
Non science
|
110
|
25.86
|
7.05
|
The critical ratio obtained when the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management compared with science and non-science is 0.855. It was found that significant difference is not exist in the mean scores of science and non-science teacher trainees, since the critical ratio is less than table value (1.96) at 5 percent level of significance.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Awareness in Disaster Management is higher for male teacher trainees than female teacher trainees. There exists significant difference in the level of awareness in disaster management based on gender of the teacher trainees.
Awareness in Disaster Management is higher for teacher trainees from rural area than the teacher trainees from urban area. There exists significant difference in the awareness level in disaster management based on locale of the teacher trainees.
Disaster management awareness of science and non-science teacher trainees is almost same. There is no significant difference between science and non science teacher trainees in the awareness level of disaster management.
TENABILITY OF HYPOTHESES
Based on the findings, the tenability of the hypothesis formulated for the study has been tested.
The first hypothesis states that “There will be significant difference in the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management based on gender", this hypothesis is accepted.
The second hypothesis states that “There will be significant difference in the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management based on locale ", this hypothesis is also accepted.
The third hypothesis states that “There will be significant difference in the mean scores of Awareness in Disaster Management based on faculty", this hypothesis is rejected.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study reveal that the awareness in disaster management has significant influence by the gender of the sample and locality of the institute. The result is also reveals that there is no influence of faculty i.e., science and non science in the awareness in disaster management. More awareness programme is essential by considering the gender and locale of the teacher trainees.
REFERENCES
Ferguson, G.A. (1989). Statistical analysis in Psychology and education. Tokyo: McGraw Hill Inc.
Michel-Kerjan, Erwann, and Slovic, Paul. 2010. “A More Dangerous World: Why We Misunderstand Risk.” Newsweek. March 1, 2010.
Day, JM, Junglas, I, and Silva L, 2009. “Information Flow Impediments in Disaster Relief Supply Chains,” Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 10(8), 637-660, Aug 2009.
Whybark, D. C. (2007). “Issues in managing disaster relief inventories.” International Journal of Production Economics, 108(1), 228-235, July.
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