What are teachers' opinions about including topics of natural events and their risks in primary curriculum in Kocaeli (Turkey)?

All of the findings and themes observed from the open-ended questions are described below. Direct quotations are chosen according to their high frequencies.

1. "What do you think about the existence of the topics of natural events and the disasters they cause in the Primary Science and Technology Program? Should the topics be included? Do you think they are adequately covered? Table 1 shows the teachers' responses to this question.

Table 1: Teachers' opinions about the subject of natural disasters being taught in the Primary Science and Technology Program

Answers		f	%
Yes	The topics are discussed;included in the curriculum. They certainly must be. However, I do not think they are adequately taught.	13	65
	They are adequately included, but not updated.	3	15
	Topics are included in the 8th grade curriculum, but I do not think that it is necessary to teach them.	3	15
	Topics are included. It is not a must, though. I do think they are adequately taught.	1	5
	*Total*	20	*100*
No	Topics are not included in the program.	-	-
No	*Total*	20	*100*

When Table 1 is analyzed, it becomes clear that all of the teachers are aware that the topics of natural events and their risks are included in the Primary Science and Technology Program, though more than half of them (65%) think these topics must be included and that they are not currently being taught at an adequate level. Another 15% of the teachers think the topics are currently being taught adequately, while another 15% think they should be updated.

Here are several examples of participants' responses to the first question:
T9:"These topics are included in the science curriculum for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Most of them are mentioned in the book, but their actual application in the classroom is so inadequate. It should be more and more exercises certainly."
T12:“Yes, these topics are taught, but not adequately. They must be discussed. In particular, the reasons for preventing disasters should be grasped more efficiently by the students.”
Participant teachers who stated that these topics should be updated said the following:
T13:These topics are taught. There is an adequate amount of information, but it would be good to update it.”
T19:“Yes, these topics are taught. When the occasion arises, we teach these topics in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, but the topics need more attention to become adequate.”
T15:“They are included in our program adequately.”
T3:“This topic only has been included in the last unit of the 8th grade curriculum. There aren’t enough in 6th and 7th grades. Many topics about disaster aren't seen relevant to science lesson. More relevant to social studies lesson. I think that science and technology course program is already intense. Actually, these topics are not so necessary for this course.”

2. Do you take interdisciplinary learning outcomes such as safe living and disaster precautions into consideration while teaching in the Primary Education of Science and Technology Program? Do these learning outcomes need to be considered in the Science and Technology Program? Why or why not? Table 2 shows the findings related to teachers' responses to this question.

Table 2: Teachers' opinions about interdisciplinary learning outcomes in the Science and Technology Program

Answers		f	%
Yes, I take them into consideration	They should be added to the science program.	5	25
	They should not be added to the science program. They should be separate.	2	10
	They should be added to the other lessons. They should remain interdisciplinary.	1	5
	They can stay as they are now. I do not put an emphasis on discriminating between the science discipline and interdisciplinary outcomes.	1	5
	They should be added to the social sciences program.	1	5
No, I do not take them into consideration	I cannot take interdisciplinary learning outcomes into consideration because there is not enough time. If science course hours are increased, it can be added to the curriculum as a science topic.	9	45
	I do not take interdisciplinary learning outcomes into consideration, but they should be added to the social sciences program.	1	5
	*Total*	20	*100*

As it is clear in Table 2, half of the teachers said that they took interdisciplinary learning outcomes into consideration in the Science and Technology Program while the other half did not. Moreover, 45% of the teachers expressed that they could not take these learning outcomes into consideration because of the lack of time.

Teachers who reported taking these learning outcomes into consideration said the following:
T8:"Yes, we do take the learning outcomes into consideration. The time is also adequate, but how much the students grasp the seriousness of the subject remains open for discussion. Students are reading the book, and we are teaching them what they should do during an earthquake, during a landslide, and at home. We are teaching them precautions that should be taken before disasters in a short period of time. In my opinion, rather than interdisciplinary learning outcomes, it is better to teach a particular topic as a whole in detail."
T11:"We already know the learning outcomes before coming to the classroom, and we are checking them from time to time. We do actually teach the subject with the learning outcomes. I think, It shouldn't be a separate discipline. Because, one of the fundamental aims of science is to teach students how to solve natural problems they can be exposed to by using a scientific perspective."
Teachers stated that they did not take interdisciplinary learning outcomes into consideration due to the lack of adequate time as follows:
T3:"Unfortunately, we cannot teach according to interdisciplinary outcomes due to the lack of time. We almost rushed to teach even the last unit. This is why we did not have the opportunity to be honest."
T4:"Interdisciplinary learning outcomes aren't emphasized enough. These interdisciplinary activities must be realized more effectively, but students don't come to class prepared for these activities. You cannot have the chance to change them. For this, of course, these learning outcomes can more easily be added to the real learning outcomes."
T16:"There are a lot of exercises in the students' books and in the workbooks during the whole semester. Also there are alternative exercises in our teachers' books. But we do not have adequate time to teach all of these exercises, only there is limited time."

3. What are the major problems that you have encountered when teaching about natural events and the disasters they cause in the Primary Science and Technology Program? Findings related to teachers' responses to this question are described in Table 3 below.

Table 3: Problems that teachers face when teaching about natural events and the disasters they cause

Answers	N	f
Because it was being included in the last unit, it was not covered.	68	16
In recent weeks, many students have not been in school or attendance has been lower.	68	13
Students are not interested.	68	11
We had not enough time for this issue. It is covered too quickly and compacted.	68	11
There are no questions about these issues on the general exam (SBS), except plate movements.	68	9
Students are not coming to school after the SBS exam.	68	8

When the findings of Table 3 are analyzed, it can be seen that the major problems arise from leaving the subject until the last unit (f=16) and the fact that there are no students at school in the last few weeks (f=13). Several of the teachers' opinions about this issue are described below.
T1:"We struggle when it comes to the last few subjects. For me, it was a real struggle this year. The national examination was held before two weeks the end of school. We have to teach really fast. Normally, We have needed a month for topic of natural events, but we have to complete them in two or three weeks instead. That is why we can't get much more efficiency."
T10:"It is the last unit in the 8th grade. They have exams. That makes them disconnect themselves from the lessons. They do not really focus on listening, on the current subject. Subject does not matter; they will treat them all the same. The last unit and the last month do not make a great impact on the students. The lessons are so superficial; we just talk and chat."
T12:"We have explained shortly about natural occurrence and disaster. But students didn't watch any CD in lessons. I talked only by drawing on the blackboard. Sometimes, I gave directly knowledge about questions. We did not enough talk about volcanoes, winds, or hurricane. That is a loss. "
T14:"First of all, our major problem is that the last units appear at the end of the term and students leave school and prepare themselves for the examination and we cannot teach the last units."

4. What methods do you use to overcome such problems? Findings related to teachers' answers to this question are summarized in Table 4.

Table 4: Teachers' techniques for overcoming the obstacles related to teaching about natural events and disasters

Answers	N	F
Lectured	35	12
Had students watch animation/video/ CD/DVD documentation	35	8
complete exercises in the book	35	5
Created a discussion atmosphere	35	4
Gave examples from daily life	35	2
Gave homework	35	2
Distributed lecture notes	35	2

When the findings of Table 4 are analyzed, it is clear that one of the teachers' most common techniques is Perhaps traditional lecturing (f=12) and the other common one involves visual techniques (f=8). The following are several teachers' opinions on the matter:

T1:"There are slides that we prepare. We try to lead the subjects with them, or we try to launch documentaries related to them. There is no experimental phase here. There are some experimental exercises in which modeling clays can be used, but we are already out of time and cannot do these kinds of exercises. There are not even enough students. The classroom population decreases by 50%. I do these exercises in a way that the students are not going to be bored. Sometimes they prepare dialogues from the books. It is not really effective to explain the information literally and then move on. Students do not focus then. They participate when they have memories or personal recollections. They start to debate, and that is more effective."
T10:"There are workbooks that are used randomly. We do the exercises and solve the problems. For instance, we discuss lightning, and then we discuss how we can protect ourselves. They misunderstand and can not distinguish the difference between the lightning itself and what happens when it strikes. I explain the difference and forms of protection."
T3:"Rather than talking, I try to make it more entertaining using pictures and the things I try to express. I use attractive colors and caricatures. In this unit, I usually use projection."
T9:"I got the Encyclopedia Britannica CDs. I can launch the volcano videos from there."

5. "What do you suggest to make topics about natural events and disaster more effective? Findings from teachers' responses to this question are summarized in Table 5.

Table 5: Teachers' suggestions to make the topics more effective

Answers	N	f
Disaster education must be related to some practice (simulation center, visualizing, disaster drill, visiting earthquake monuments or museums)	82	43
The topic can be introduced earlier in the semester/year	82	19
Allocated time for this topic can be increased	82	14
SBS can be given after the schools closed	82	4
Teacher should be more informed about the topic	82	2

When the findings are analyzed, it is clear that most of the teachers' suggestions involve performing some practices (simulation center, visualizing, disaster drill, visiting earthquake monuments or museums). (f=43) and with respect to change of place of the unit about this topic (f=19). Several of the teachers' opinions are as follows:

T11:"If there is adequate time, and if the earthquake drill will be at the same time students can be taken to the earthquake simulation center. I wish I had the time to teach them erosion by conducting a normal experiment, but unfortunately I did not. We can be given much more time. I think this unit about natural events should be taken in the middle of the term. It must follow a spiral; it should be phased into 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. It should be placed into each grade, but not in the last unit."
T17:"Sometimes drills are done in the schools, and School staff also let the students know it. But in the years immediately after the earthquake, more often than. For example, in schools was done it three or four times in a year, but now just one time. I mean, if it is done more often, can be more reasonable."
T11:"Natural occurrence and disaster are more verbal, more oral, more updated, and more comprehensible. In this reason, they are placed last subject in curriculum. Indeed, for students it is easier to learn and apply than the other topics these topics in their daily lives. If these topics are taken to the beginning of the book, It would be provided more long-term learning and opportunities to practice."
T6:"These units are actually soft topics. Since they are not heavy for the students, they can be more effective if they are the first subjects discussed. And, for example, in 8th grade we always say that our first topic is divisions, such as mitosis. It is really hard, both for a student back from the semester holiday and for a teacher. The discussion process begins with the easiest and ends with the hardest, even with the questioning part, so it can be easier and more entertaining to take these units to the top. It can be more effective."
T7:"The first unit in 8th grade is the topic of meiosis and mitosis. Students can be a little bit scared when you start with a difficult topic all of a sudden at first. If the first unit started with natural events, students could increase their interest in science. Meiosis and mitosis can be a little hard for them. Natural events can be placed in the first unit. Or the topic of natural events can be applied with one or two hours of practice, not as a separate lesson, but at the end of the lessons; this is more reasonable."