Exploring the Role of Education in Shaping Disaster Preparedness: Phenomenological Lens

Disaster preparedness education is essential in building resilient communities, especially in disaster-prone countries like the Philippines. Despite national policies such as DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2015, the actual classroom implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) remains inconsistent. This study explores the lived experiences of 10 junior high school teachers in integrating disaster preparedness into their teaching practices, focusing on the challenges they face, the coping mechanisms they employ, and the insights they gain. The study used a qualitative research design anchored in phenomenology. In-depth interviews were conducted with purposively selected junior high school teachers who had experience in integrating DRR topics into their lessons. Thematic analysis was applied, and triangulation was used to ensure trustworthiness in the findings. Findings revealed that while teachers are committed to teaching disaster preparedness, they encounter challenges such as lack of training, overcrowded curricula, and weak policy implementation. To address these, teachers employed coping strategies such as self-directed learning, curriculum integration, and peer collaboration. Insights from the study show that effective integration occurs when DRR is contextually and subject-aligned, and when school-level initiatives compensate for policy gaps. Implications point toward improving training, resources, and monitoring systems, while future directions encourage stakeholder collaboration to sustain disaster education in schools.