Very little is known about the immediate response of classroom teachers to natural disasters. Even less is known about early childhood educators' responses or about the impact of those young children's learning. This research will investigate these topics in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One objective of the study is to collect information about teachers' classroom responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Teachers' responses to the hurricanes will be measured with a survey about teacher and child classroom activities. The teacher sample will include preschool, kindergarten, and primary-grade teachers from Louisiana, another hurricane-prone state, and a state that is not threatened by hurricanes. Teacher responses are expected to differ according to classroom characteristics (location and grade level) and reported teaching practices. Multiple regression analysis of responses will control for teacher characteristics (certification area, educational background, refugee status, etc.) and emotional well-being. The second objective is to investigate how teachers' responses are related to child learning and behavior outcomes. For this aspect of the study, classrooms will be selected using purposive random sampling: Classrooms in which teachers report doing a lot of classroom work in response to the hurricanes, a moderate number hurricane-related activities, and few or no hurricane-related activities. Researchers will use time sampling to document observed child stress-related behaviors. An innovative play-based interview technique, using a modified story-stem methodology in the context of "Hurricane Centers," will be used to measure children's knowledge. Analysis of covariance will compare child outcomes across age levels and teacher-response groups.
The knowledge gained from this research will help answer important questions. First, how do educators address such events in their classrooms? Second, do teachers who typically use developmentally appropriate teaching practices respond to these events differently than other teachers? Third, to what extent do differential teacher responses to these disasters affect young children's behaviors and understanding of hurricanes? As those questions are answered, our knowledge about how education and children are impacted by disasters will be advanced in ways that have important implications for teachers, teacher educators, and psychologists. Specifically, because this research uses a standard methodology to measure children's knowledge across a range of ages, the results will contribute new insights into understanding age-related differences in children's knowledge of a specific type of natural disaster. The research will also contribute significantly to the existing literature on children's understanding of natural phenomena. The information gathered from this project will lead to (a) the development and dissemination of ideas about effective teaching strategies and curriculum for early childhood classrooms in regions impacted by cultural crises and upheavals related to natural disasters and (b) a general appreciation for the interaction between children's hurricane-related experiences and their understanding of natural disasters.
