Students' mental models with respect to flood risk in the Netherlands

Abstract

Until now various quantitative studies have shown that adults and students in the Netherlands have low flood risk perceptions. In this study we interviewed fifty 15-year-old students in two different flood prone areas. In order to find out how they think and reason about the risk of flooding, the mental model approach was used. Flood risk turned out to be not very salient and the mental models had a piecemeal character with fundamental misconceptions. Furthermore, the mental models consisted largely of descriptive concepts instead of concepts about underlying processes with respect to explaining and predicting flooding. Concepts with respect to hazard adjustments and disaster response were lacking most. Conclusions about how to use the results of this study in geography education were discussed.

Designing a flood-risk education program in the Netherlands

“…Students' perceptions and mental models with respect to flood risk in the Netherlands Previous studies (Bosschaart et al, 2015;Bosschaart et al, 2013;) made clear that although Dutch students know there is a flood-risk in the Netherlands in general, they hardly apply this to their own situation. Students' personal flood-risk perception is low and they hardly perceive fear when thinking about flood risk.…”

“…Students' mental models in two Dutch cities in flood-prone areas, turned out to be fragmentary and consisted mainly of factual or declarative knowledge (Bosschaart et al,2015). Knowledge consisting of understandings about the where and why of flooding and its effects is lacking largely.…”

“…This conception is deeply embedded in society and Heems and Kothuis (2012) call this "the myth of dry feet." Previous studies (Bosschaart, Kuiper, & van der Schee, 2015;Bosschaart, Kuiper, van der Schee, & Schoonenboom, 2013;) showed that this myth also applies to Dutch students. Within this framework education and communication about this risk is a challenging task.…”

What does “crisis” education look like?

“…They discuss the implications in terms of teaching about the human cost of extreme natural events. Bosschaart, Kuiper, and van der Schee (2015) researched flood likelihood in the Netherlands. They show that it is important to generate an awareness around the potential effects, what citizens can expect of the authorities, and how they should act themselves, before and during an extreme natural event.…”

“…If geography education has the ambition to contribute to flood risk awareness, the contents of courses and the pedagogy should be reconsidered. Bosschaart et al (2015) outline that "because students' mental models turn out to be fragmentary and hardly consist of structural and procedural knowledge, it is important to adapt the contents of geography education" (p. 145). We need to be cognizant of the misconceptions that students and the general public bring into an extreme natural event.…”