Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the primary school students in response to climate change a case study in duyen hai district, tra vinh province, vietnam

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY TRAN THI HUONG KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STU

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI HUONG

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND

PRACTICES OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY IN DUYEN HAI

DISTRICT, TRA VINH PROVINCE,

VIETNAM

MASTER'S THESIS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

VIETNAM JAPAN UNIVERSITY

TRAN THI HUONG

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND

PRACTICES OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A CASE STUDY IN DUYEN HAI

DISTRICT, TRA VINH PROVINCE,

PLEDGE

I hereby declare that this thesis is my research work The data and results of the thesis have not yet been published in any other scientific works In addition, several references used in the thesis also have been cited

I will take full responsibility before the Master of Climate Change and Development Program and Viet Nam Japan University for this commitment

Hanoi, June 2023

Tran Thi Huong

FOREWORD

The completion of this Master's thesis could not have been possible without the participation and contribution of so many people whose names may not all be enumerated I sincerely appreciate and gratefully acknowledge their support and dedication

Firstly, I am thankful for my extremely great supervisor and mentor – Dr Tong Thi My Thi, who help me to orient, support, and motivate me to complete this research and get other precious opportunities in academic study A special thanks to my sub-supervisor Dr Akihiko Kotera for supporting the survey and for all necessary arrangements for ensuring the questionary form takes place effectively

I would like to thank the Norwegian Mission Alliance Vietnam, who helped me

to understand and identify the research topic And this study certainly would not have achieved the results without the consent and approval of the Chairman of the Duyen Hai District People's Committee, the Chief of the Department of Education and Training in Duyen Hai District, and all the teachers who gave their best support in data collection through a small test for the students

Likewise, I am grateful to the lecturers and staff at Vietnam Japan University and Ibaraki University for being honest, supportive, and devoted to the research process I extend thank you to all the people who shared their insights and feedback on the research I also would like to express my appreciation Last but not least, I would never complete the master’s thesis if it is without my family

Perhaps knowledge is limitless, but there are certain limitations in the acquisition

of knowledge by each person Therefore, errors are inevitably inevitable in the process

of completing the thesis I appreciate receiving valuable suggestions from you to improve this report

Wishing all teachers good health, happiness, and success in their teaching career path!

3.2 Knowledge of primary school students in coping with climate change 49

3.2.2 Knowledge of the consequence of climate change 513.2.3 Knowledge of the reason causing climate change 553.2.4 Knowledge of solutions for coping with climate change 573.3 Attitudes of primary school students in coping with climate change 593.4 Practices of primary school students in coping with climate change 633.4.1 Taking action to cope with climate change in schools 633.4.2 Taking other daily activities of coping with climate change activities 66

3.6 Plan on activities in primary school in the Duyen Hai district 76

3.7.3 Practices in response to climate change 80

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1-1: Research Objective and Task 8

Table 1-2 Summary of the priorities for action of the Sendai Framework for the period 2015 -2030 14

Table 2-1 List of indicators for assessing KAP of the primary students 32

Table 2-2 The three-level Likert 39

Table 3-1 List of surveyed schools 42

Table 3-2 Number of students obtained from schools 43

Table 3-3 Understanding climate change 49

Table 3-4 Trend of the manifestations of CC in recent years 50

Table 3-5 The results of indicators relating to knowledge of the term CC 51

Table 3-6 Respondents for K4 and K6 51

Table 3-7 Impacts due to climate change occurring in the community 53

Table 3-8 The results of indicators relating to knowledge of the consequence of climate change 55

Table 3-9 Reason leading to CC 56

Table 3-10 The results of indicators relating to knowledge of the cause of climate change 57

Table 3-11 The results of indicators relating to knowledge of solutions for mitigating and coping with CC 59

Table 3-12 The important of the following issues in preventing/mitigating the impacts of climate change 60

Table 3-13 The results of indicators relating to attitudes of primary school students in coping with climate change 63

Table 3-14 The result of P1, P2, and P3 64

Table 3-15 Integrating climate change into some subjects in the school 64

Table 3-16 Referring to some documents associated with CC 65

Table 3-17 The daily actions to reduce climate change and disaster risk 66

Table 3-18 The results of indicators assessing practices of primary school students in coping with climate change 69

Table 3-19 Result of the average score for the KAP model 71

Table 3-20 The average score of indicators 71

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1-1 Maps of the study area (Duyen Hai district in Tra Vinh Province) 10

Figure 1-2: Framework of the thesis’s research 11

Figure 1-3 The framework of knowledge of climate change and disaster risk 15

Figure 1-4 The 4Cs model for CCE approach 16

Figure 1-5 Books on teaching and learning in DRR 24

Figure 2-1 Map of the observed points 29

Figure 2-2 The framework of taking sample size and interview process 34

Figure 2-3 Pictures in the interview process 36

Figure 2-4 Pictures in the in-dept interview process and group discussion 37

Figure 3-1 Map of the studied area 41

Figure 3-2 A map of surveyed schools 42

Figure 3-3 The ratio of male and female students in primary schools 44

Figure 3-4 The proportion of Khmer students in primary schools in the Duyen Hai district 45

Figure 3-5 The proportion of the gender and the ethnic participating in the survey 45

Figure 3-6 The ratio of students joining the survey classified by the grade 46

Figure 3-7 Location of the student's house 46

Figure 3-8 The position of the path leading to the school 47

Figure 3-9 Ratio of the type of transportation used to school by students 47

Figure 3-10 Information on students’ swimming ability 48

Figure 3-11 Respondents of students ―have heard the concept of CC.‖ 49

Figure 3-12 Some impacts caused by climate change on primary students 52

Figure 3-13 Impact on the community caused by climate change 54

Figure 3-14 Students’ knowledge of the reason causing climate change 56

Figure 3-15 Students’ knowledge of solutions for mitigating CC 58

Figure 3-16 Students’ knowledge of solutions for adapting to CC 59

Figure 3-17 Importance of climate change for primary-level students 60

Figure 3-18 Everyone’s responsibility in responding to climate change 62

Figure 3-19 Interested in learning about climate change and disaster risk 62

Figure 3-20 Climate change integrated into subjects 65

Figure 3-21 The reasons for knowing and unknowing the reference documents relating to CC 66

Figure 3-22 Reasons for not implementing activities related to mitigating climate change or disaster risk 67

Figure 3-23 Attending extracurricular programs related to disasters risk and climate change 67

Figure 3-24 Some extracurricular activities related to climate change and climate change risk reduction 68

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Figure 3-25 Reasons for not participating in extracurricular programs 68

Figure 3-26 Willingness to share climate change insights with family and people 69

Figure 3-27 Overall KAP model for primary school students related to response to climate change 71

Figure 3-28 Knowledge of response to climate change 74

Figure 3-29 Results of analyzing the KAP model according to three different

aspects 76

Figure 3-30 Some responses from teachers, principals Head of the Department of Education and Training related to CC 76

Figure 3-31 Some pictures of play ground in schools without tree 80

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LIST OF ACRONYMS

ACFCSS ASEAN Common Framework for Comprehensive School Safety

ADPC Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre

CCE Climate Change Education

CSS Comprehensive School Safety

CSSF Comprehensive School Safety Framework

DONRE Department of Nature Resource and Environment

DRR Disaster Risk Reduction

ECHO European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department

GADRRRES Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the

Education Sector

GRCS The German Red Cross Society

HFA Hyogo Framework for Action

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

KAP Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices

MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

MoET Ministry of Education and Training

MOIC Ministry of Information and Communication

MONRE Ministry of Nature Resource and Environment

MRC Mekong River Commission

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation

NORAD Norwegian Development Cooperation Agency

PPC Provincial People's Committees

SFDRR Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNDRR United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNICEF United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund

UNISDR United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

USAID United States Agency for International Development

VNDMA Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority

VRCS Vietnam Red Cross Society

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Rational of the Research

Vietnam is located in the monsoon tropics, with a land area of about 331,230.8 km2and a coastline that stretches over 3,260 km (Nguyen et al., 2021) Approximately three-quarters of the country's area is mountainous, while the remaining portion consists of an alluvial plain This diverse topography and geography make Vietnam prone to various types of natural disasters, such as storms, floods, landslides, and heatwaves during the rainy and hot seasons, as well as droughts, and saline intrusion in the dry season (Nguyen et al., 2021) In the current context of climate change, these impacts are becoming more severe, particularly in coastal provinces where 11.8 million people directly face the risk of large-scale floods, over 35% of coastal residential areas are located in landslide-prone areas, and 22% of schools are at direct risk of flooding (Rentschler et al., 2020)

While the education system is an essential public service that supports the quality of life and well-being of communities, it is also vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change, especially in coastal areas Climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters such as sea-level rise, droughts, flash floods, landslides, and tornadoes These disasters result in water and air pollution and scarcity

of water and food, affecting the quantity and quality of meals and water available for children at home and in schools (Rentschler et al., 2020) Additionally, climate change can contribute to migration decisions for livelihood, leading to neglect of children's education and forcing students to stay home, leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence and negatively impacting their mental health and psychosocial well-being (Rentschler et al., 2020) Moreover, high-temperature events caused by climate change, coupled with stress, can result in health issues that reduce students' learning abilities in the classroom (provided by the students in Duyen Hai district, 2023) Therefore, climate change contributes to an increased number of students dropping out and experiencing educational setbacks

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According to statistics from the General Department of Disaster Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), natural disasters that mainly affect the education sector include cyclones, hail, landslides, tide storms, heavy rain, flash floods, typhoons in the period 2006 -2020 Human loss caused by natural disasters in the period 2006 -2020 (excluding the period of 2013 –

2015 missing the data) is 354 children died (including 224 people due to flash floods,

71 people due to storms, 22 people due to lightning and hail storm, 20 people due to landslide, and the rest is caused by other natural disasters) (MARD, 2022) In addition, the damage to physical facilities at schools due to natural disasters in the period 2006 -

2020 is also substantial up to 34,643 classrooms being swept away and severely damaged (including 23,444 due to storms, 9,223 due to flash floods, 1,363 due to thunderstorm, 1,363 due to hail, 443 due to cyclone, and the rest is caused by other natural disasters) (MARD, 2022) Moreover, Rentschler J et al (2020) indicated about

864 schools in studied coastal provinces to assess flood risk The analysis showed that 3% of schools are getting risk from coastal flooding and 10% of schools taking the risk from river flooding (with one time in a 20- or 25-year cycle) About 1.5 million of 7.6 million students in coastal provinces are affected directly by flooding (Rentschler J et., 2020)

When entire populations are affected by disasters due to climate change, the unique impact on children is often overlooked Children in particular, who are of primary school age, are vulnerable to climate change due to their vulnerability, unique perspective, and especially their attitude Young children are potentially more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because they are physically weaker, less capable of coping with extreme weather conditions or disaster, and especially dependence on adults such as parents (Sunakshi Bhatia et al., 2013) Moreover, apart from physical harm, children can also face hidden dangers such as disease or abuse (Rentschler J et al., 2020) Additionally, because they are still developing their understanding of the world, they may have different perspectives on climate change compared to older children By conducting surveys to assess the awareness and understanding of young children about climate change, researchers can gather information to better educate and communicate with this group This can help develop

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suitable educational programs that align with their approach and perception, ultimately contributing to better preparedness and adaptability to a changing climate Finally, the young children may also have a better attitude when approaching a positive issue because they are often be more open-minded and willing to take action towards positive change due to they have not been influenced significantly by pre-existing

beliefs and values

Various educational activities and platforms addressing climate change and disaster risk reduction have emerged worldwide Notably, the United Nations 2000 World Disaster Reduction Campaign "Disaster Reduction: Education and Youth" aimed to enhance global awareness of disaster risks, highlighting the crucial role of youth in preventing and mitigating disasters The World Congress on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in 2005, with 168 countries in attendance, adopting the Hyogo Framework for Action to reduce disaster risks from 2005 to 2015 In 2008, the Islamabad International Conference on school safety (SS) took place in Ahmedabad, India, aligning with Priority Action 3 of the Hyogo Framework for Action that sought to prevent child mortality in schools due to disasters by 2015 Furthermore, in 2019, Spain hosted the third National Conference on Safe Schools focused on sharing knowledge, raising awareness, and promoting the dissemination of School Declaration and Principles while fostering collaboration to implement the Safe Schools Statement and Guidelines

Established in 2013, the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in Education (GADRRRES) developed a Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) Framework suitable for the ASEAN context The ASEAN Common Framework for Comprehensive School Safety (ACFCSS) comprises three pillars, with the third pillar centered on "Enhancing knowledge, attitude, and skill impacting on disaster risk reduction to students and the general public to develop a culture of safety" (ASEAN, 2018) The framework's detailed activity "Assessing gaps in DRR knowledge, attitudes, and practices among students and learners" involves administering a questionnaire or test, not only at the national level but also at the sub-national and school levels The purpose of all the activities outlined in the framework is to ensure

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the safety and security of students from the adverse effects of extreme climate events, uphold educational continuity, and protect children's rights to receive quality basic education by anticipating and mitigating known and anticipated hazards

The Vietnamese government has formulated numerous strategies, decisions, and projects related to climate change response in the education sector The first of these was MoET's Decision No 4068/QD-BGDĐT issued in September 2011 that focused

on "an action plan for implementing the national strategy for natural disaster prevention, control, and mitigation of the education sector for 2011-2020." This action plan outlines essential objectives such as raising awareness among 100% of cadres, officers, and public employees in the education sector about natural disaster prevention and mitigation by 2015 By 2020, it aims to improve communication and awareness among teachers, students, and the community in vulnerable areas heavily affected by natural disasters The plan also includes integrating disaster prevention and mitigation knowledge into educational programs and extracurricular activities in schools by 2015 and conducting pilot model implementation in 2015 Moreover, training and fostering materials will be compiled, and disaster prevention, control, and mitigation knowledge will be integrated into appropriate subjects in the curriculum program, extra-curricular hours between 2012 - 2014 Additionally, the plan involves organizing extracurricular activities related to disaster prevention, control, and mitigation for students between

2011 and 2020 (MoET, 2011) This decision only focused on raising awareness about the consequences of climate change at the management level and did not focus on designing a curriculum suitable for students with the most exposure but they also have not received cognitive training

The government authorized the "National Target Program in Response to Climate Change from 2012 to 2015" in August 2012 by Decision No.1183/QD-TTg The government mandated MoET's cooperation with MONRE and MOIC as part of the project "building education and training program on climate change at all levels" (Gov, 2012) The project's key objectives were to raise community awareness, conduct training and educational programs for disaster preparedness and climate change

of students or learners about responding to climate change and natural disaster prevention and control by 2015 and 80% by 2020; and raising awareness among 30%

of the community living around schools or universities to respond to climate change and natural disaster prevention and control through coordination with the local level by

2015 and 60% by 2020 (MoET, 2014)

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) approved the "Plan to achieve sustainable development goals in the education sector to 2025 with perspective to 2030" through MOET Decision No 2161/QD-BGDDT in 2017 This plan included two main objectives regarding school safety: (1) creating a safe and violence-free learning environment for everyone (Global Goal 4.a); and (2) promoting disaster risk reduction education, knowledge of climate change, and ability to adapt to climate change (Global Target 13.3.b) The decision recognized that climate change can have

an impact on safety in schools, making it crucial for students to increase awareness and take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change

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In 2018, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) issued Circular No TT-BGD, which introduced the Universal Education Program This program aimed to incorporate climate change knowledge into natural and social science subjects for grades 2 and 3 and history and geography subjects for grades 4 and 5 The curriculum began including contents about climate change in 2021 The circular indicates that the education sector has targeted primary school students as a vulnerable group affected

32/2018-by climate change However, there are currently no region-specific lectures and no prioritization considered

MoET issued Decision no 2455/QD-BGDDT on 21 July 2021, which regulates the training program for history and geography teachers This decision is the first of its kind that focuses on climate change-related goals The decision officially authorizes teachers to undergo training programs to improve their professionalism, knowledge of climate change, and understanding of typical natural phenomena The curriculum for primary schools has integrated basic knowledge related to climate change, such as water vapor, temperature, rain, atmosphere pressure, the movement of ocean currents, climate zones on earth, extreme climatic events, among others (MoET, 2021) Additionally, there will be periodic assessments of the climate change knowledge taught in the learning process

In Vietnam, there are several domestic and foreign organizations that have initiated programs to increase awareness of climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

in schools These organizations have also implemented multiple DRR activities in various provinces and cities across the country Some of these organizations include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS), World Vision, Live&Learn, among others

Several research articles and master's theses have been conducted on schools and climate change in Vietnam in recent years Some of these studies include: (1) Nguyen, L.V (2016), who examined the integration of climate change into schools in Hanoi; Duong, N.T.H (2020), who researched disaster preparedness approaches in schools in

Da Nang province; Giang, D.H (2022), who proposed a set of minimum criteria

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necessary for safe schools in Quang Ninh, Da Nang, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces

by 2021; and (2) Tong My Thi and her colleagues have conducted numerous studies

on education in climate change and disaster risk reduction and prevention in schools between the period of 2012 to 2022 (Tong et al., 2012; Tong et al., 2016; Tong et al., 2022) However, there has been no research conducted on the awareness of climate change among primary school students in Duyen Hai district

Nguyen, T.H (2020) showed that Tra Vinh is a province that has the largest ethnic population of the Khmer minority in Vietnam They account for about 31.5% of total provincial inhabitants Moreover, Tra Vinh is also a coastal province of the Mekong Delta where its climate is divided into two distinct seasons (rainy season and dry season) influenced by the sea with an average temperature of 26.970C in the period of

1980 – 2018 and annual average rainfall in a range of 1,430mm – 1670mm (DONRE, 2020) Sea level rise in the province tends to increase by an average of 6,5 mm/year from 1980 to 2018 (DONRE, 2020) Typhoons or tropical low pressure usually occur

in November, December, and January of the following year In particular, Usagi is the most recent storm causing the heaviest impact on the province's economy in November 2018

Furthermore, Tra Vinh province is commonly inundated for about 3-5 months per year with a flooded level of 0.4 m to 0.8 m due to intense rain combined with high river levels because of upstream water and high tide (DONRE, 2020) It usually occurs in September and October every year The prolonged hot weather in the dry season causes more than four months of drought annually Therefore, the Provincial People's Committees (PPC) have developed an action plan to respond to climate change (CC) from 2021 to 2030 with a perspective of 2050 to reduce disaster risks and enhance resilience The plan also requires integrating climate change knowledge into curricula

at all school levels and combining it with extra-curricular programs to raise awareness and change students' behavior about environmental protection and response to CC (PPC, 2020)

Therefore, it is essential to review students’ awareness of responding to climate change, which will help them minimize disaster risks that enhance their resilience and

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response to climate change This is also one of the most important tasks contributing to implementing activities in the action plan for disaster prevention and response to climate change for 2021 -2025 (MOET, 2020) Therefore, this thesis will focus on evaluating the primary school's knowledge, attitudes, and practices in response to climate change in the Duyen Hai district of Tra Vinh province, Vietnam

− What are solutions for enhancing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices

of CC and DRR in Duyen Hai district primary schools?

1.3 Research Objectives and Tasks

Table 1-1: Research Objective and Task

Overall: Researching the knowledge,

attitudes, and practices of the students

for climate change response in primary

schools in Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh

province

T1: Construct a scientific basis (incl

theoretical & practical basis) for education on response to CC towards Sustainable

Development Goals

O1: Research Student’s knowledge in

response to CC in primary schools

T2: Identify indicators to design the

questionaries for collecting primary data under the KAP model

T3: Describe the current situation of

education on response to CC for students in the study site by observing and collecting primary data;

T4: Identify students’ knowledge in response

O3: Research Student’s knowledge,

attitudes, and practices in response to

CC in primary schools

T5: Identify students’ attitudes in response to

CC from collected primary data and observation and then use the Likert scale to

assess

O4: Research Student’s knowledge,

attitudes, and practices in response to

CC in primary schools

T6: Identify students’ practices in response to

CC from collected primary data and observation and then use the Likert scale to

assess

O5: Review CCE-related policies and

any experienced programs related to

CCE in the Duyen Hai district

T7: Review secondary data related to climate

change education policies in Vietnam and extracurricular/professional programs performed in the Duyen Hai district combined with primary data from the in-depth interview

O6: Proposing improvement in

students’ knowledge, attitudes, and

practices in response to CC in primary

schools to reduce disaster risk, and

cope with climate change, guaranteeing

the contribution of education for

Sustainable Development and climate

action

T8: Addressing solutions for improving and

enhancing the quality of climate change education in primary schools to reduce disaster risk and cope with climate change in the study area for Sustainable Development and climate action

1.4 Objects and Scope of the Research

1.4.1 Research Object

The research object is the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the students in primary schools in the Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh province

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1.4.2 Scope

− Temporal: from April 2022 to June 2023

− Spatial: Duyen Hai district in Tra Vinh province, Vietnam

Figure 1-1 Maps of the study area (Duyen Hai district in Tra Vinh Province)

1.6.1.1 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Study Model

The Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) study model explores the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of primary school students in response to climate change It is also shown that the model includes crucial aspects for behavioral change models (Liao

et al., 2022) The KAP study will help enhance knowledge, change attitudes toward a response to climate change, and change practices related to increasing activities coping with climate change (Kaliyaperumal et al., 2004)

Kaliyaperumal et al (2004) said that the knowledge possessed by human beings refers

to their comprehension of a particular subject This study is related to climate change that will cause disaster risk Cambridge Dictionary defines attitude as feelings and opinions about this topic, as well as any preconceived notions referring to it Practice

is how people show their attitude and understanding through their activities The KAP study helps the researcher to explore the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of

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the students This result will help them increase their awareness at a better level, change their attitudes and practices more effectively, and make them adaptive to climate change and less vulnerable

1.6.1.2 Concept of Climate Change

IPCC (2011) indicated that “Climate change refers to a change in the state of the

climate that can be identified (e.g., using statistical tests) by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer It refers to any change in climate over time, whether due

to natural variability or as a result of human activity”

NASA Climate Kids (2023) also presents climate change as ―Climate change

describes a change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in

a region over a long period For example, 20,000 years ago, much of the United States was covered in glaciers In the United States today, we have a warmer climate and fewer glaciers.‖

Climate change causes an increase in frequency and severity of natural disasters such

as sea level rise, droughts, flash floods, landslides, tornados, etc., that lead to increased mortality of heat-related humans, flood-related people, and many adverse other impacts They will become even more severe in terrestrial areas that are easy to get vulnerable such as coastal areas or mountainous lands Therefore, this report also mentions a bit related to disaster risk caused by climate change

1.6.1.3 Concept of Disaster Risk

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) (2022),

a disaster is when a hazardous event intersects with exposure, vulnerability, and capacity, causing significant disruption to a community or society at any level This disruption results in losses and impacts to human life, infrastructure, economy, and the environment Disaster risk refers to the possibility of loss of life, injury, damage, or destruction of assets that could occur in a certain period based on the probability of hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity (UNDRR, 2022)

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Lavell et al (2012) also gave some definitions related to disaster risk reduction as follows:

- Disasters are severe changes to the day-to-day normal activities of a community

or a society resulting from extreme climate events combined with social vulnerability leading to widespread adverse effects on the environment, human, physical or economic that needs to respond promptly to increase resilience to meet community needs;

- Disaster risk is the possibility of occurring during a certain period of severe changes to the normal day-to-day activities of a community or a society resulting from extreme climate events combined with social vulnerability leading to widespread adverse effects to the environment, human, physical or economic that needs to respond promptly to increase resilience to meet community needs It can be said that disaster risk is caused by extreme climate events and the vulnerability of exposure factors representing the possibility of serious disruption to the normal activities of the impacted society when it turns out to be a disaster

In Vietnam, the definition related to disaster risk reduction was officially published in the book "Guideline for Teaching and Learning about disaster risk reduction" in 2012 The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) approved and issued this book It shows that a disaster is a severe disruption of the activities of a population or society, causing loss and damage to life, property, economy, and the environment that the community and society do not have enough ability to resist; disaster risk is the risk of damage caused by nature to people, properties, structures, living environment, economic and social activities (Live&Learn, 2012c)

1.6.2 Overall Research

1.6.2.1 Main researches on the global scale

In 2015, the Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Japan where representatives from 187 UN member states gathered and adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 This

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framework is comparable to the HFA (Hyogo Framework for Action) In addition, SFDRR highlights seven goals and provides detailed information on four priority actions that need to be taken into consideration (UNISDR, 2015) in the Table 1-2:

Table 1-2 Summary of the priorities for action of the Sendai Framework for the

period 2015 -2030

1 Knowledge of disaster risk

2 Enhancing the government control of catastrophe risk in Disaster Risk

Management

3 Investment in disaster risk reduction for increasing resilience

4 Increasing disaster preparedness for coping effectively and to ―Build Back Better‖ in the recovery and reconstruction process

Source: UNISDR, 2015

SFDRR's Priority Action 1 emphasizes the importance of having an understanding of vulnerability, adaptive capacity, exposure, extreme climate characteristics, and their potential negative impacts in managing disaster risks (UNISDR, 2015) Mathematically speaking, risk is a function with multiple variables that depend on hazard, vulnerability, and exposure, as indicated by Schneiderbauer and Ehrlich (2004):

Risk = f (Hazard, Vulnerability, Exposure) Consequently, each variable at different levels may result in various negative consequences for individuals, assets, and other relevant components (Schneiderbauer

& Ehrlich, 2004) Furthermore, disaster risks can impact climate in numerous ways (Cardona et al., 2012) The subsequent section provides a framework to comprehend the link between climate change and knowledge of disaster risk:

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Source: Zscheischler et al (2018) and Vereinte Nationen 2022

Figure 1-3 The framework of knowledge of climate change and disaster risk

The figure 1-3 shows a tight relationship between climate change and disaster risk reduction Children face higher disaster risks and are easily the most vulnerable due to their poor understanding of climate change and disaster risk reduction (IIED, 2012) Therefore, investing in climate change and disaster risk reduction education is the most accelerated solution that results in the benefits from minimizing the possible loss

of human life, the least harm as possible, and in particular do, not disrupt to children's education as well as other factors such as socio-economic and culture (UNESCO Digital Library, 2010)

The British Council engages in training programs and offers globally recognized English certificates They have produced a resource pack called "Climate Change and Girls' Education: school resource pack," which consists of six lessons aimed at educators and teachers working with 11 to 17-year-old students The primary aim of this document is to address two critical aspects, as follows:

Figure 1-4 The 4Cs model for CCE approach

The 4Cs model also takes into account cultural factors within the educational setting, focusing on the connection and assistance from the community to enable students to develop an understanding of climate change This approach aims to raise awareness and encourage activities that sustain this awareness over time

UNICEF and UNDP (2011) studied the student's knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about climate change conducted in Montenegro including Berane, Bijelo Polje and Pljevlja (Northern region), Nikšić and Podgorica (Central region) and Bar, Ulcinj and Herceg Novi (Southern region) The use of the KAP model provides a systematic approach to assess the students' knowledge, attitudes and practices towards climate

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change The study surveyed 46 schools including primary and secondary schools that allows for an understanding of how the level of awareness changes with age Furthermore, surveying schools in both urban and rural areas helps in identifying differences in KAPs between students from different geographical locations The ratio

of males and females participating in the interview is slightly different The results show that the students’ KAP on climate change are not good However, the study was conducted in 2011, and the results may no longer be relevant due to potential changes

in climate education and awareness over time

Sunakshi Bhatia et al (2013) studied students’ KAP in 12 schools in India on school safety The research focused on comparing intervention and non-intervention schools related to KAPs of the students for responding to various disasters Using the KAP model provides a structured framework for assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary school students towards school safety The study compares intervention and non-intervention schools, which can provide insights into the effectiveness of interventions in improving KAPs related to responding to disasters Focusing on a range of disasters such as floods, earthquakes, fire, etc., helps in assessing students' preparedness for various types of emergencies However, the age range of 6-14 years is quite broad, which may mask differences in KAPs between different age groups Especially, this study only focuses on the KAP of students related to disasters and does not address climate change issues which can be considered as one of the causes leading to those disasters

UNDP launched a series of projects in the Caribbean in 2016 with the use of the KAP model as a structured approach to assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of people towards climate change, adaptation, mitigation or disaster risk management The project assessed KAPs not only of students, teachers but also households and other people, providing a comprehensive understanding of the issue The study was conducted in multiple countries across the Caribbean, which helps in understanding how climate change affects different communities in various locations The focus on small islands with houses built near rivers, the sea, and slopes provides crucial information for policymakers and stakeholders to design effective interventions The

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focus on specific regions may limit the generalizability of the findings to other contexts Furrthermore, the report provides research findings related to KAP, but it did not analyzes or assesses the impact of interventions carried out by key stakeholdersThe project specifically did not give importance to studying the understanding, beliefs, and actions of primary school students towards climate change adaptation as the report concentrated on interviewing individuals aged between 18-40 years old

In 2018, the UNDP introduced the Climate Box program, which has been implemented

in eight Eastern Europe and Central Asia nations This initiative aims to provide a comprehensive climate curriculum along with practical exercises and has garnered positive feedback from 50,000 students and 1800 teachers The online learning platform "Climate Box" was created for everyone, particularly for students aged 7-14, offering updated information and various sections such as vivid visualizations, quizzes, games, etc., to help them comprehend climate change and encourage them to take action (UNDP, 2018) However, primary school students in Duyen Hai district face challenges in accessing the program due to language barriers and insufficient learning resources

Karami et al (2017) carried out a study utilizing the KAP model to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of lower secondary teachers concerning climate change education The research involved 108 participants from ten schools in Tehran, Iran According to the findings, the teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to climate change are at a rudimentary level For instance, the educators did not recognize the adverse effects of climate change on the economy, public health, and other areas The KAP model provides a comprehensive approach to understanding climate change education by assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices The study can help identify areas where teachers need further education and training related to climate change and its impacts In addition, the results of the research can inform policy decisions and educational initiatives to improve climate change education The research is limited to lower secondary teachers in Tehran, Iran, which makes it difficult to generalize the findings to other regions or populations such as Vietnam with many various characteristics

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UNICEF (2022) also studied climate change and the environment for teachers and educators through the KAP model in Grenada, North Macedonia The study assessed the general understanding of climate change, including the terminology and impacts of climate change on society Attitudes towards climate change are also considered through an interest in climate change, the importance of actions related to this issue, and willingness to take action to adapt and mitigate climate change In addition, the study also explores the common activities or means of communication and the barriers that prevent them from participating in activities related to climate change (UNICEF, 2022)

1.6.2.2 Main researches in Vietnam

Key policies on climate change education

The government approved the "National Target Program in Response to Climate Change from 2012 to 2015" through Decision no.1183/QD-TTg in August 2012 The program mandated that the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) work in conjunction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and MOIC to promote public awareness about climate change under the project "Building Education and Training Program on Climate Change at All Levels" (Gov, 2012) This project aimed to raise community awareness and develop education and training programs for disaster education and adaptation to climate change Additionally, the project highlighted the importance of climate change response activities in connecting sectors and fields

MoET authorized the project "Information and Propaganda on Response to Climate Change and Disaster Prevention in Schools during the Period 2013-2020" through Decision no 329/QD-BGDDT in January 2014 (MOET, 2014) The project's primary objective is to educate and increase awareness among individuals associated with the education sector such as children, students, officials, teachers, lecturers, students' parents, and the community about responding to climate change and preventing disasters The anticipated results of this project include:

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- By 2015, the awareness and skills of teachers and other education professionals

in information and communication regarding response to climate change and natural disaster prevention and control are expected to improve by 80%, increasing to 95% by 2020;

- By 2015, it is expected that 80% of students at all levels of education, as well as anyone learning at schools or universities, will have been educated and informed to raise awareness and basic age-appropriate skills in responding to climate change and natural disaster prevention and control (especially concerning abnormal weather phenomena) within their locality This figure is expected to rise to 95% by 2020;

- By 2015, 50% of parents of students or anyone learning at schools or universities are expected to have been informed and educated to raise awareness

on response to climate change and natural disaster prevention and control, with

In February 2016, the government released Decision No 234/QD-TTg, which focuses

on children's incidental and injury prevention program for 2016-2020 The decision outlines specific objectives such as the pilot program for teaching swimming to children in all towns; ensuring that 40% of the population comprising elementary and lower secondary school students are skilled in water safety (Gov, 2016) The plan aims

to increase the percentage of primary and lower secondary school students with the ability to swim and rescue themselves Accordingly, the program mandates that at least 70% of students in universal education be taught how to protect themselves from danger, especially drowning and traffic accidents

MoET authorized Decision no 2161/QD-BGDDT on June 26, 2017, approving the

"Plan to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in the Education Sector to 2025 with

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a Perspective to 2030" (MOET, 2017) The plan includes two main objectives that focus on creating safe schools and addressing climate change in schools, which are as follows:

- Establishing an educational environment that is safe and free from violence for all individuals (Global Goal 4.a);

- Providing education, raising awareness, enhancing capacity to respond to climate change, and reducing disaster risks (Global Target 13.3.b)

Moreover, the project mandates that educational resources must align with the local environmental and socio-economic conditions Specifically, schools in disadvantaged areas such as mountainous regions, remote areas, areas with unique challenges, ethnic minority areas, and regions impacted by natural disasters and climate change (CC) are

to be given priority The project also highlights the importance of updating universal education textbooks, curriculum programs, and materials while incorporating disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation into the curriculum Additionally,

it emphasizes the need for budget planning for the educational program

On December 26th, 2018, MOET released Circular No.32/2018-TT-BGDĐT, announcing the Universal Education Program for primary, lower and upper secondary levels, including the curriculum for various subjects and educational activities The implementation schedule for grades two and five is as follows:

- Starting from the academic year 2021-2022, integrated knowledge about climate change will be incorporated into the natural and socia subject curriculum/lectures for grade two students;

- From the academic year 2024-2025, grade five students will receive lectures on climate change and environmental studies as part of the history and geography subject curriculum

In October, 2020, MOET released Decision no 3162/QD-BGDDT, which includes

"The Plan for Disaster Prevention and Response for MOET for the Period of 2025" (MOET, 2020) The plan addresses the following primary concerns:

- Incorporating fundamental knowledge about disaster prevention and control into non-classroom educational programs and activities;

- Integrating basic information about disaster prevention and control with environmental protection and climate change awareness;

- Conducting specialized training programs geared towards natural disaster prevention and control, environmental pollution, and climate change

The decision highlights the importance of utilizing information and communication technology to prevent and control natural disasters, environmental pollution, and climate change It also mandates research and design of a model for safe schools/classes to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and pilot implementation before replicating it across the country Additionally, the content related to natural disaster prevention and control must be integrated into the local education, economic, and social development master plans while aligning with the country's sustainable development goals

In July, 2021, MOET released Decision no 2455/QD-BGDDT, which establishes a program for training history and geography teachers (MOET, 2021) This training program is the first of its kind to focus specifically on climate change-related topics Through this decision, teachers will receive formal training to improve their professionalism and knowledge of climate change and significant natural phenomena such as water vapor, temperature, rain, atmospheric pressure, ocean currents, climate

In summary, MOET has introduced a new general education program with an innovative approach to enhance students' awareness and practical application of knowledge This

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includes integrating climate change topics into the curriculum for natural and social subject lectures for grade 2 and history and geography subject lectures for grade 5 Additionally, MOET has established regulations to develop the capacity of teachers and staff in the education sector concerning climate change The Duyen Hai district has adhered strictly to these regulations set forth by MOET

Key practices on climate change education

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization committed to assisting communities, especially children who are getting low-income and easily vulnerable (World Vision, 2022) World Vision supports without distinction of religion, race, nationality, or gender They have approached the special method of teaching children about disaster risk reduction and resilience to cope with climate change in Kim Dong Secondary School in Phuoc Duc Commune, Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province

in 2015 (World Vision, 2015), as follows:

- The step 1 is to choose and train leaders on the knowledge of climate change and solutions on how to go to school safely and have a safe school environment;

- The step 2 is for the recognized leaders to guide and supervise their classmates

in extracurricular sessions with many activities with plenty of intuitive activities that increase the participation and enthusiasm of the children

The following are valuable initiatives of the extra-curricular lesson:

- Dividing into some small groups with a disaster topic and appointing a leader for each group, and starting with an exciting mini-game related to a hazard;

- Discuss the common extreme climate events that happened in the community

by finding out disasters type, hazards’ characteristics, and causes;

- Propose activities to do before, during, and after the hazards happen;

Sing some songs related to disaster risk reduction, such as ―Ta luôn nhớ rằng‖ and

―Nhớ lời cô dặn.‖

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Live & Learn Environmental Education was established in the tropical forests and reefs of Queensland belonging to Australia in 1992 (Live & Learn, 2022) The organization supports providing conservation programs in schools, such as improving the environment and promoting environmental education through activities of awareness over increasing climate change and warning of urgent environment The organization collaborated with the British Council in Vietnam, the Ministry of Education and Training, the British Embassy, and other local NGOs to conduct a project the climate change education at 25 secondary schools in five big cities of Vietnam in 2012, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City (British Council, 2022) It also extended to 300 primary schools in Hoa Binh province of Vietnam at the end of 2012 (British Councl, 2022) The project's goals are to increase knowledge and impact on students' behaviors by accessing educational tools such as handouts, pictures, videos on practicing risk reduction, etc., related to climate change and the implementation of climate change initiatives created

by themselves In addition, Live & Learn also participated in and co-edited the following books (Figure 1-5) related to disaster risk prevention and climate change

Figure 1-5 Books on teaching and learning in DRR

Live&Learn has produced several reference documents that provide specific guidance for teaching and learning activities in disaster prevention, avoidance, and mitigation as well as response to climate change for both teachers and students These resources are

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aimed at improving awareness and skills in preventing and avoiding natural hazards and coping with climate change and are part of the JANI project The three books cover core topics such as identifying natural disasters, their concepts, effects on the earth and daily life, and sharing experiences from countries worldwide to reduce natural disasters and respond to climate change However, each book caters to different audiences "The ABC Handbook on climate change - Sổ tay ABC về biến đổi khí hậu" targets primary school students, "Teaching and learning guide on Disaster risk reduction - Tài liệu hướng dẫn dạy và học về: Giảm nhẹ rủi ro thiên tai" is designed for secondary school students, and the "Instruction manual for teaching and learning about climate change response - Tài liệu hướng dẫn dạy và học về ứng phó với biến đổi khí hậu" is intended for teachers

Numerous studies have been conducted nationwide concerning climate change and disaster risk reduction education in schools For instance, Tong Thi My Thi (2014) conducted a study in Thua Thien Hue and Da Nang provinces that focused on introducing an innovative approach to DRR education by employing the School Disaster Resilience Assessment (SDRA) methodology (Tong Thi My Thi, 2014) The study examined 75 indicators across five dimensions: physical conditions, human resources, institutional issues, external relationships, and natural conditions SDRA is considered an extensive DRRE assessment tool that analyzes students, teachers, school staff, families, and the local community around the school Moreover, it is deemed an effective tool for conducting the Plan-do-check-action cycle (Shiwaku et al., 2016) Tong et al (2016) also suggested that SDRA could be applied to assess DRR in various geographical areas such as plains, mountains, urban, and rural settings

Upon reviewing the literature, there are several issues that require further investigation and analysis:

- The government and MoET have released several Decisions and Circular guidelines to address climate change and disaster risk reduction education in schools, including integrating it into the classroom curriculum However, in the Duyen Hai district of Tra Vinh province, students have yet to be provided with books or manuals for learning about CC and DRR as discussed earlier This is a

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drawback for students living in coastal areas where access to supporting documents or books is limited due to various reasons such as difficult economic conditions (low living standards), lack of self-study skills, and restricted information technology

- Numerous large-scale activities and studies have been conducted to raise awareness about climate change and disaster risk reduction However, none of these initiatives or research has taken place in the Duyen Hai district of Tra Vinh province This province is home to the highest proportion of the Khmer ethnic group in the country (Nguyen T.H., 2020) This community depends heavily on natural resources such as forestry and agriculture, which often have limited production land and are only productive under particular weather and climatic conditions (CARE, 2013; Dân tộc thiểu số ở Việt Nam, 2022) The development opportunities for this group are generally restricted by a lack of access to markets, funds, and education Moreover, misconceptions often impede the progress of ethnic minorities (CARE, 2013)

This study will concentrate on examining and evaluating the awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to climate change response among primary school students in the Duyen Hai districts of Tra Vinh province Based on these findings, recommendations will be suggested to enhance the cognitive capacity of these students, strengthen their resilience, and improve their ability to adapt to climate change and disaster risk reduction

- The data analysis methods involve statistical analysis techniques using Microsoft Excel software, indicator-based method, the Likert scale, and Google Earth

2.1 Data collection method

2.1.1 Desk Review

The first and most crucial step in the research process is conducting a desk review to collect secondary data Synthesizing research findings is critical to present meta-level evidence and identify issues that necessitate additional investigation (Snyder, 2019) This method involved three primary sources, namely:

- Reviewing and studying scientific reports, journals, or previous studies related

to climate change, disaster risks in schools, disaster risk reduction education (DRRE), climate change education (CCE), and other relevant information necessary for responding to climate change and preparing to cope with natural disasters This process included both domestic and foreign articles or research sourced from reputable publishers known for their high quality and reliability;

- Official documents, policies, and project activities related to the research area have been implemented worldwide, including in Vietnam and the research area Policies typically refer to strategic government documents regarding the

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research field Additionally, official letters, decisions, or action plans released

by the Ministry of Education and Training at the province and district levels are considered Furthermore, activities or programs organized by various agencies, organizations such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), or individuals related to the research issues are also reviewed to collect any relevant information;

- Finally, the annual statistical report published by the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is also considered This report highlights various types

of natural disasters and their severe impacts on both humans and infrastructure However, this research report focuses solely on the effects of climate change on children and schools in Vietnam's education sector, particularly in Tra Vinh province

The desk review phase is a critical stage in the research process as it helps researchers identify problems that require further investigation Additionally, it provides researchers with a comprehensive understanding of theory and practice related to climate change education (CCE) and disaster risk reduction education (DRRE) worldwide and specifically in Vietnam and Tra Vinh province

This methodology serves two objectives: the fourth objective is to review policies on climate change education in Vietnam and extracurricular/professional programs implemented in the Duyen Hai district while the fifth objective is to propose solutions for improving and enhancing the quality of climate change education in primary schools to reduce disaster risks and cope with climate change in the study area

2.1.2 Sociological Methodology

The sociological method is a practical research method that is the most suitable and closest approach to the object under study The information collected through this method is highly reliable and representative Furthermore, theoretical arguments or conclusions based on evidence gathered from society through this method are more

Figure 2-1 Map of the observed points The main goals were identified under the observation as follows:

- The mapping of the research area aims to identify the current status of students and schools, including infrastructure, natural surroundings, and other local

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conditions This process is crucial in identifying students and school situations

in the research areas;

- The purpose of recognizing the impacts of climate change on students and schools is to identify how landslides, typhoons, and other effects of climate change affect them Locations affected by climate change tend to pose a threat

to the safety and well-being of students and schools This process is crucial in identifying the potential risks posed by climate change and developing strategies for disaster risk reduction and enhancing resilience in schools and students;

- The process of identifying regular activities of schools and students related to disaster risk reduction and response to climate change This method aims to recognize the current practices undertaken by schools and students in addressing climate change and disaster risks, and identify areas for improvement

The data collected through this process is utilized for analysis, assessment, and comparison with data sourced from interviews and desk reviews It primarily focuses

on the first objective to the third objective of analyzing students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices in response to climate change

2.1.2.2 Questionarie survey

The KAP model was used to create a questionnaire that investigates students' understanding, beliefs, and actions towards climate change and decreasing the risk of disasters in schools It can be found an example of this questionnaire in Appendix 1 The survey questionnaire and interviews took place both at the Commune People's Committee office and schools The interview stage occurred three times, as outlined below:

- In April 2022: A field trip was organized to collect data through a questionnaire

in order to determine the focus of the master's thesis Ten respondents were identified as the foundation for choosing the thesis topic;