Disaster Mitigation Education in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Indonesia

Abstract

Disaster mitigation education - even during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic - must be carried out to face the problem of flooding. It can be argued that the worst impacts of floods can be prevented by way of a young generation that is armed with Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and disaster mitigation behaviors acquired through environmental education. This study measured HOTS related to disaster mitigation behaviors of the young generation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The research utilized a descriptive methodology, with a data collection technique conducted through online surveys. The collected data was referred to a survey that designed questions to be scaled against a HOTS skill hierarchy, and then assigned a score based on the skill weight in that hierarchy. The results highlight that most of the young generation's HOTS scores were averaged in the very low category (26.88), even though the score for flood disaster mitigation behavior was in the high category (77.40). The low score is mostly attributable to the lack of disaster mitigation education at schools, universities, and for the public in general. The study concluded that the young generation's Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) must be improved. Developing innovative learning tools and disseminating information are a necessary prerequisite for increasing these skills.