HYDRA: A Board Game for Disaster Risk Knowledge, Awareness and Preparedness on Hydrometeorological Hazards

Abstract

The inclusion of DRR education in the curriculum has been part of the response of the government to the increasing threats of disasters in the Philippines. Yet it was found out that students are still mostly uncertain when a disaster occurs, more specifically on evacuation plans, hazards and disaster-prone areas . This study aimed to develop an instructional material to increase the knowledge, preparedness, and awareness towards hydrometeorological hazards of Grade 11 students in Caloocan City Science High School. The Hydrometeorological Disaster Risk Awareness board game (HYDRA), was first evaluated by seven DRRR experts and Science teachers using the DepEd LRMDS evaluation tool, before it was implemented to the Grade 11 students. Data were collected from 20 participants using a 20-item test questionnaire and a 16-item survey form. The results of the pretests and posttests have shown significant differences with large effect sizes, which implies that the game has significantly increased the students’ disaster risk knowledge (p 0.001; d = 1.5), preparedness (p 0.001; d = 1.92), and awareness (p 0.001; d = 1.96). The game also received an overall evaluation rating of 3.99 out of 4, which means that it met the criteria for an appropriate instructional material. These findings suggest that HYDRA can be used as an alternative educational tool in teaching DRRR.