Disaster Education in the Context of Postsecondary Education: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The upward tendency of global disasters and associated losses urgently calls for enhancing disaster education (DE) and professional training. Although postsecondary education institutions (PSEIs) play an essential role in this educational mission, a comprehensive understanding of DE development in PSEIs remains unclear. In response to this knowledge deficit, this article employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to explore the current development of DE in PSEIs through reviewing 76 publications from 2011 to 2022 through a mixed-method analysis process (univariate analysis and thematic inquiry). The quantitative analysis outcomes illustrate that the studies were unevenly distributed globally. The qualitative findings demonstrate the following fourfold characteristics of DE in PSEIs: (1) in terms of pedagogical characteristics of DE, there is a call for a radical shift in pedagogical strategies because the conventional teaching approaches are inadequate in tackling the potential risks and emerging hazards; (2) disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives have been integrated into DE, addressing diverse disasters and their differential influences; (3) through community-based partnerships, PSEIs can provide informal and nonformal education to affected individuals and communities; and (4) interconnections between DE and other educational approaches that broadly address global climate change have been recognized, contributing to resilience and sustainability. Based on these outcomes, this study recommends future DE-specific research could focus on (1) exploring potential radical pedagogical approaches to respond to emerging risks and hazards, (2) stimulating cross-disciplinary collaboration to address the full spectrum of disasters’ societal impacts, and (3) increasing collaboration between PSEIs and nonacademic organizations to raise grassroots awareness through informal DE. The increasing number of disasters worldwide encourages the development of DE, especially at PSEIs. A nuanced understanding of the DE development in PSEIs will identify the strengths and areas for improvement, better preparing future researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers. Having focused on DE at PSEIs, this literature review examined 76 journal articles published from 2011 to 2022. Disasters are a global issue, and the literature review outcomes show the uneven distribution of DE on a global scale. Although interdisciplinary approaches have been applied to DE in PSEIs to examine disaster’s diverse impacts, innovative pedagogies are needed to address the emerging issues associated with extreme events. DE provides community outreach activities to educate and support the individuals and communities hit by disasters. DE also joins other educational missions to contribute to the global issues of climate change, resilience, and sustainability. These findings suggest that future improvement could focus on developing novel pedagogies, enhancing cross-disciplinary collaboration, and promoting community outreach and public education.