Investigation of secondary school students' perceptions of earthquake disaster in social studies education with the example of disaster films

Natural disasters deeply affect the life and structures of societies. They cause not only physical damage but also social, psychological and economic consequences. Social studies course is important in terms of providing students with disaster awareness and contributing to the preparation and recovery process of the society. Research and geological data show that Turkey is a country with a high earthquake risk. Historical records prove that major earthquakes will occur in the past and in the future. Since it is not possible to prevent earthquakes, it is critical for the state and individuals to take precautions and raise awareness. This study aims to examine the perceptions of secondary school students towards earthquake disaster in social studies education with the example of disaster films. In addition, with the study, the level of awareness of secondary school students about the earthquake phenomenon and the level of knowledge about the pre-earthquake preparation, reaction during the earthquake and the measures to be taken after the earthquake were expressed. In this direction, after the preliminary interviews with 30 students studying in a secondary school affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the provincial centre of Elazığ in the 2023-2024 academic year, the four-week training programme was completed with disaster films and the data obtained from the final interviews were analysed and evaluated. Content analysis, one of the qualitative data analysis methods, was used to analyse the data. In addition, four earthquake films shown to the students were analysed according to semiotic and discourse analysis methods. The results of the pre-interview revealed that the students had significant knowledge deficiencies about the concept of earthquake, the causes of its occurrence, its consequences and the measures to be taken, as well as a lack of practice in terms of precautions. The post-interview conducted after the activities showed a significant increase in students' knowledge levels on these topics. This finding supports that visual materials (e.g., films on earthquakes) can contribute to students' better understanding of complex scientific issues and more accurate perceptions on these issues. Films and visual contents stand out as an effective method to provide a more permanent learning by making use of visual and auditory opportunities.