Natural disaster literacy in education: A thematic literature analysis

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively examine research conducted between 2018 and 2024 on natural disaster literacy and disaster preparedness levels in the field of education. The study was carried out using a qualitative research approach, employing the document analysis technique. A total of 45 studies were identified through searches targeting articles and postgraduate theses published in the field of education between 2018 and 2024; however, following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies were included in the review.The selected studies were analyzed using descriptive analysis in terms of publication year, study type, research method and design, sample characteristics, data collection instruments, and data analysis techniques. The findings indicate that research on natural disaster literacy has increased notably in recent years; however, the studies are predominantly based on quantitative methods, survey research designs, and samples consisting mainly of pre-service teachers. It was also found that data collection instruments largely relied on scale-based tools and that basic statistical techniques were most frequently used in data analysis. Qualitative and experimental studies were limited in number, and sample diversity remained relatively narrow. In conclusion, despite the growing academic interest in natural disaster literacy, significant gaps remain in terms of methodological diversity and depth. This study presents an overall profile of existing research and provides a methodological framework to guide future studies in the field of disaster literacy in education.