A Play-Based Disaster Preparation Program: Exploring the Sustenance of the Learning Effect

Abstract

In Japan, there are many disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons; thus, the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to disaster preparation by the public is a key issue. In disaster preparation education, learning should be sustained until the disaster situation, not immediately after learning. In this study, we examined the effects of disaster education events on learning disaster preparation knowledge among elementary school children. We conducted two tests—a post-test and a post-post-test—immediately after the disaster education event in 2019 and six months after the event, respectively. These scores were used to measure persistence of learning. We confirmed that the improvement of knowledge and skills related to disaster reduction was sustained even after a certain period had passed since the disaster preparation education.