The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

Attempt to Typify Disaster Educational Programs – Case Study of the Disaster
Management Education Challenge Plan
1

2

Kota TOMOYASU , Reo KIMURA and Haruo HAYASHI

3

1

Graduate Student, Human Science and Environment, Hyogo University, Hyogo, Japan
Associate Professor, Human Science and Environment, Hyogo University, Hyogo, Japan
3
Professor, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Email: nd13y015@stshse.u-hyogo.ac.jp, rkimura@shse.u-hyogo.ac.jp
ABSTRACT:This study analyzes the disaster educational programs that were implemented under the “Disaster Management
Education Challenge Plan,” a disaster management education project supported by the Cabinet Office,
Government of Japan. In this study, cluster analysis of the characteristics of the disaster educational programs
led to categorization of the programs into four types. The results of this study are expected to encourage thegeneral public to launch disaster management educational activities that incorporate practice cases from each of
the four types of programs, and will likely spur the development of additional programs.
2

KEYWORDS:
Disaster education, educational program, Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan, typification, cluster
analysis

1. Introduction
In the past, Japan has experienced a number of natural disasters and its geographical characteristics make itvulnerable to earthquakes, storm, and flood damage as well as other natural disasters in the future. An urgent
response to the recent rash of storm and flood damage and potentially massive earthquakes in the early 21st
century is required. In order to alleviate the damage, it is important to develop not only damage prevention
measures by reinforcing buildings but also to ensure that individuals and organizations, including citizens anddisaster responders, receive disaster management education that cultivates knowledge about disaster responsemanagement and competency (Disaster Management Literacy)1). There are three entities involved inovercoming disasters: self-help efforts (individuals and their families), mutual assistance (local community),and public assistance (disaster responders). Each of the players have their own roles2) and thus, they should
adopt disaster management literacy through a common disaster management education. The Expert ResearchGroup of the Committee for Promoting a Nationwide Movement for Disaster Reduction3) was established at theCentral Disaster Management Council in July 2005 with a focus on promoting disaster awareness among
citizens and the disaster response skills of local communities as the basis for disaster damage alleviation. The
Committee emphasizes the necessity of promoting disaster management education not only in schools but also
across all levels of society. Unfortunately, prior to the establishment of the Committee there were no organizeddisaster educational programs, specifically with regards to the types of programs and the format in which they
were taught. These limitations made it particularly difficult for ordinary citizens to launch disaster management
education programs. In order to tackle the lack of standardized disaster educational programs, this study
examined the Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan4), which was a nationwide disaster management
educational project developed by like-minded experts on disaster management education under support of the
Cabinet Office. The resulting analysis was used to classify the ongoing disaster educational programs into four
distinct types.
The Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan aims to create common assets to expand the venue for

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

120

Number
16

100
80
60

109

2

40
20
0

3

45

1

0

14

11

11

School andLocal organizations Volunteers, NPOs,
education-related
and NGObodiesAcademic
institutions

Other

Introductory Challenge
General Challenge

N=212

Figure 1 The distribution of programs according to the type of practicing bodydisaster management education efforts and enhance their quality as they are implemented throughout thecountry. The Plan is seeking various disaster management education plans from organizations and individuals(educational organizations, Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs), and community groups) that share the wish tofurther reinforce disaster management education. For the first three years of the project from 2001 to 2003,
plans were publicly sought according to the disaster educational program designed by the Disaster Management
Education Challenge Plan Executive Committee and introduced for trials at pilot schools. From the year 2004
onwards, plans were sought yearly and selected plans were provided with support including expert advice on the
educational programs and funding for implementation, as well as opportunities for people-to-people exchanges.
In 2012, the Challenge Plan began seeking applications for an Introductory Challenge with simplified
paperwork requirements relative to the General Challenge to attract a diverse application pool that represented
a broad range of the society. The Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan Executive Committee
selected practice cases from the plans that were entered for General Challenge on basis of their activity
processes and achievements. Outstanding practice models received the Grand Prize for Disaster Management
Education, the Outstanding Performance Prize for Disaster Management Education, and the Special Prize forDisaster Management Education. During the fiscal year 2011, the Special Grand Prize for Reconstruction
Education was established to recognize organizations that were affected by the 2011 Great East Japan
Earthquake and greatly contributed to local reconstruction efforts with their sustained work to implement theDisaster Management Education Challenge Plan for a year. These support and evaluation systems developed
under the Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan have helped accumulate a number of high quality,
advanced disaster educational programs as practice cases. Moreover, they have helped identify key elements forclassifying disaster educational programs into various types.

2. Methods
This study created and analyzed a dataset of 212 disaster educational programs that were implemented under theDisaster Management Education Challenge Plan through the fiscal year 2013. The dataset was collected fromthe activity reports that were submitted by the bodies that implemented the programs. The variables that wereanalyzed included the report items and the attributes of the practicing bodies. The report items variables were:“type of disaster targeted (earthquake, flood),” “purpose of education (to raise disaster awareness, to learn
techniques),” “target of education (elementary school students, local residents),” and “program formats(lecture, hands-on study).” The variables that reflected the attributes of the practicing bodies included: “areawhere the practicing bodies are located,” “types of practicing bodies (school, teachers and staff, local

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

Number
120

103

100

81

76

80

102
76

54

60

40

80

41
28

26
12

7

6

People with disabilities

Women

5

Students in Schools forSpecial Needs Education

20

20

4

0

Other

All people

AdultsLocal residents

Parents and PTA

Teachers, school staff andnursing staff

International students

University students

High school students

Middle school students

Elementary school students(4–6 graders)Elementary school students(1–3 graders)
Toddler, kindergarten
children

N=212

Figure 2 The distribution of programs according to their target audiences
Number
160

141

128

140
120

100
80
60

54

53

47

57

40

65

53

45

18

20
0

Other

Capacity building for disaster
response

Raising disaster awarenessLearning techniques

Enhancing disaster knowledge

Disaster simulation
experiences

Disaster drills

Making disaster-resistantcommunities

Making useful materials andresources for disasters

Disaster management
education through enjoyable
activities and games

N=212

Figure 3 The distribution of programs based on the educational focus of the programs
The distribution of programs based on the educational focus of the programs community groups),” and“application categories (Introductory and General).” In the initial analysis, the current state of the disastereducational programs was assessed. This was followed by a cluster analysis to categorize the characteristics ofthe disaster educational programs, and then by an examination of the types of disaster management education
programs based on the results. The study also introduced practice cases that could serve as model cases for eachtype of program. The individuals and organizations that do not have expertise and knowledge of disastermanagement education can practice disaster management education by learning outstanding practices andadapting them to their school and local communities.

3. Analysis of disaster educational programs in the Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan
3.1. Basic analysis
Figure1 represents the number of programs according to the types of practicing bodies. For both theIntroductory Challenge and the General Challenge initiatives, the programs implemented by schools andThe International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

20
18

Earthquake
Storm and flood damage
Volcanic eruption
Disaster in genaral

TsunamiFire
Crime
Others16

The number of programs

14
12

10
8
6
4
2
0

N=212

Fiscal year implemented

Figure 4 Yearly changes in the number of educational programs for various disaster (2001-2013)
educational organizations were the most numerous. Programs implemented by volunteers, NPOs, andNongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) were the second most numerous. Taken together, these data suggestthat schools and other educational organizations, volunteers, NPOs, and NGOs are leaders in the field of disastermanagement education. Most of the programs were designed to target students especially those in elementary
school and local residents (Figure 2). This was followed by programs that were designed to target parents,
PTAs, teachers, school staff, and nursing staff, or in other words, people who have a close connection to
students. Interestingly, while the majority of these programs focus on students and local residents, the number ofprograms that target people requiring assistance during a disaster, including foreigners and people withdisabilities was notably low. When the programs were analyzed according to their purpose of education, the vast
majority of the programs were focused on “enhancing disaster knowledge” and “raising disaster awareness”(Figure 3). On the other hand, programs that were focused on “disaster simulation experiences” were the least
common. This could be attributed to the fact that simulating disaster conditions requires comprehensive
knowledge of disasters and involves massive preparation.
The disaster educational programs practiced under the Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan wereidentified based on the type of disaster that they covered. Figure 4 shows the yearly change in the number ofdisaster educational programs for the different types of disasters. It should be noted that many single programs
targeted multiple disaster types. A relatively high number of programs targeted earthquakes, tsunamis, anddisasters in general. In the fiscal year 2012, which was a year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, there wasan increase in programs related to earthquakes and tsunamis. On the other hand, the number of educational
programs for floods and storms was relatively low despite the frequency of their occurrence.
This could be because the Great East Japan Earthquake raised the nation’s interest in earthquakes and tsunamis.
Typically, when a natural disaster leaves behind extensive devastation there is an increased interest in thatparticular type of disaster and it promotes disaster management education designed specifically to address that

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

・Target_14 Women
・Target_15 All people
・Target_07 International students
・Target_13 People with disabilities
・Target_12 Students in Schools forSpecial Needs Education
・Disaster_05 Crime

People requiring
assistance during
a disaster
Less frequent but
unique practices
Delivery classes
and disaster
simulations
Water-related
disasters in
Chugoku, Shikoku,
and Kyushu regions

・Format_07 Club activities at school・Format_15 Theater performances
・Disaster_04 Volcanic eruption
・Disaster_06 Fire・Format_14 Reading, picture story
books,and reading to children
・Format_10 Study at home・Body_04 Academic institutions
・Body_02 Local communities
・Format_12 Research・Target_06 University students
・Purpose_05 Disaster simulation
experiences
・Target_01 Toddler, kindergarten
children・Target_11 Adults
・Format_11 Delivery classes
・Format_06 Classroom activities
・Format_08 Other school hours
・Region_05 Chugoku, Shikoku,
Kyushu・Disaster_03 Storm and flood damage
・Region_04 Chubu

High school
volunteers

Fun practiceactivities utilizing
events, functions,and subject studies

・Target_05 High school students
・Region_04 Kansai
・Body_03 Volunteers, NPOs, and NGOs・Purpose_01 Disaster management
education through enjoyable activities
・Purpose_04 Disaster drills
・Format_01 Events, functions
・Format_05 Subject learning
・Format_09 Off campus study,
mobile classes
・Purpose_02 Making useful materials
and resources for disasters
・Purpose_03 Making disasterresistant communities
・Region_01 Hokkaido, Tohoku
・Disaster_02 Tsunami
・Format_04 Comprehensive study
classes・Format_03 Lectures and symposiums

School-led technicaltraining andcapacity building fordisaster response

Practices to enhancedisaster knowledge
and awarenesscentered primarily atelementary schools

・Purpose_07 Learning techniques
・Purpose_07 Capacity building fordisaster response
・Disaster_07 Disaster in general・Format_13 Hands-on learning
・Region_02 Kanto
・Format_16 Evacuation and disaster
drills・Body_01 School and educationrelated bodies
・Target_04 Middle school students
・Target_02 Elementary school
students (1–3 graders)・Target_02 Elementary school
students (4–6 graders)・Disaster_01 Earthquake
・Purpose_06 Enhancing disasterknowledge
・Purpose_08 Raising disasterawareness
・Target_08 Teachers, school staff
and nursing staff
・Target_09 Parents and PTA
・Target_10 Local residents
・Format_02 Lectures, study group,
and workshop

Figure 5 Cluster analysis of disaster educational programs
type of disaster. However, this is not a desirable outcome because it leads to low interest in other types ofdisaster and it disproportionately limits the other types of disaster management. While increased interest in
disasters would drive further disaster management educational programs, it should be promoted in a way suchthat a variety of disaster management educational programs are promoted rather than promoting disastermanagement education designed for particular types of disasters.
3.2. Typifying disaster educational programs by cluster analysis
The study used cluster analysis (Ward’s method) to organize the current disaster educational programs into
distinct types based on variables that represent the characteristics of the programs. The dendrogram created by
the cluster analysis suggested that the programs could be classified into four types: (1) practices to enhancedisaster knowledge and awareness centered primarily at elementary schools, (2) school-led technical training

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

and capacity building for disaster responses, (3) fun practice activities utilizing events, functions, and subject
studies, and (4) less frequent but unique practices (Figure 5). The less frequent but unique practices was further
divided into four groups: high school volunteers, water-related disasters in Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu
regions, delivery classes and disaster simulations, and people requiring assistance during a disaster. The details
and model cases for each type are described below.
3.2.1. Practices to enhance disaster knowledge and awareness centered primarily at elementary schools
Practices to enhance disaster knowledge and awareness centered primarily at elementary schools included
disaster educational programs that focused on raising awareness at elementary schools and equipping citizens
with disaster knowledge that could be a prerequisite for having the capacity to overcome disasters.
The 2012 Grand Prize for Disaster Management Education was awarded to the Nechi Elementary School in
Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture for their disaster educational program called, “Nechi School Original! 2012
Local Disaster Management Education Taking Place in the Wilderness of Geopark.” This program focused on
the elementary school as a center for disaster management education and tried to raise the bottom line for local
disaster readiness involving students and their parents as well as local community members. The programcurriculum is designed to improve elementary school level disaster awareness as well as to encourage theacquisition of basic knowledge regarding the mechanism of disasters by exploring types of natural disaster thatare most likely to occur in the areas in which they live.
The programs involve distinctive activities that incorporated game style learning in order to further motivate
elementary school students to learn and disaster management roundtables in which parents and local community
members participate.
3.2.2. School-led technical training and capacity building for disaster response
School-led technical training and capacity building for disaster responses includes the type of disastereducational programs that focus on school-led efforts to encourage learning by training in specific techniquesthat are useful in the face of disasters, building disaster response capacity, as well as improving disasterawareness and learning basic knowledge.
Nechi Elementary School in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture organized a disaster educational program called“EAST-Rescue,” which was awarded the Special Prize for Reconstruction Education in 2012. This program is
not only meant to equip participants with the ability to protect their lives through evacuation drills during
earthquakes and tsunamis, but also to develop techniques and the capacity to assist others during these disasters.
Their slogan is, “from the one who’s saved to the one who saves.” It was distinctive in the way that elementaryand middle schools have joint tsunami evacuation drills while setting forth an educational goal of middle school
students taking the initiative to guide the younger elementary school students.
3.2.3. Fun practice activities utilizing events, functions, and subject studies
Fun practice activities utilizing events, functions, and subject studies included educational programs thatprovide fun opportunities, such as creating materials on disaster management, and utilizing these opportunities
for people to get together for these events to acquire new knowledge of these disasters.
Kochi Higashi High School in Kochi Prefecture organized a program called, “From School to Local
Communities and Schools. A Project to Spread Disaster Management Culture,” which won the 2008 Grand
Prize for Disaster Management Education. This program focused on educating a wide range of people at special
events and effectively utilized learning time during school for disaster management education. An example ofone such event was a disaster awareness activity at a local festival called the ‘Ichinomiya Exchange Festival that
included a mascot created by the Kochi Prefecture. As a part of their effort to utilize the subject learning time
during school, the students also hand-made disaster prevention items during home-economics classes that werelater exhibited at the festival.
3.2.4. Less frequent but unique practices
Less frequent but unique practices include the types of disaster educational programs that are less common in

The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

the Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan but responds to specific needs. These programs can befurther divided into four smaller groups called (1) programs by high school volunteers, (2) water-related
disasters in Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions to address water-related disasters that occur in thoseregions, (3) delivery classes and disaster simulations in which classes take place on requested sites to provide
disaster simulation, and (4) people requiring assistance during a disaster program that is designed to address the
specific needs of this population. These less common programs do not have many practice cases and thus leaves
much room for reinforcing educational programs. In particular, the last program is a key priority of disastermanagement; therefore we should focus on and enhance disaster management education in this field.
According to the “Evacuation Guidelines for Assisting People Requiring Assistance During a Disaster” 5)
published by the Cabinet Office Government of Japan, people requiring assistance during a disaster are “people
who require support in a series of actions to protect themselves during a disaster such as evacuating themselves
to a safe place.” A number of elderly people and people with disabilities reportedly fell victim to the Great East
Japan Earthquake6), 7).
Takatsu Regional Network Promoting Committee of Takatsu School for Special Needs Education organized adisaster educational program with people requiring assistance during a disaster. This program, “Community
Disaster Simulation Drill for Assisting People with Disabilities, Elderly People and Other People Requiring
Assistance” won the 2011 Outstanding Program Prize. This program organized a drill for students withdisabilities in partnership with schools and local communities in order to identify how emergency shelters
should be set up and managed to be accessible to people with disabilities, elderly people, and other people
requiring assistance. The aim of this program was to raise disaster awareness among students with disabilities.
An added benefit of the program was the revitalization of local communities by providing opportunities forexchange between students with disabilities and local residents and fostering a deeper understanding of
disabilities and the school.

4.

Conclusion

The study analyzed disaster educational programs in the Disaster Management Education Challenge Plan toclassify them into different types. Basic analysis assessed active programs dedicated to current disastermanagement education, the target of the programs and the purposes of the education that they emphasized. Thechanges in the number of programs according to the type of disaster revealed how massive disasters could
influence people’s interests in disasters. As a result of cluster analysis, the study was able to organize thedisaster educational programs into four types based on their characteristics. The study also identified areas
where disaster educational programs should be intensively reinforced. Overall, it is expected that citizens andworkers who are engaged in disaster management and responses will be able to launch disaster management
education work by referring to the past practice cases according to the types and develop their ideas into newprograms for the future.

REFERENCES
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The International Emergency Management Society
2014 TIEM Annual Conference in Niigata, 2014.10.20 - 23

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