Teachers’ Responsive Actions to Protect Their Typhoon-Affected Schools: An Empirical Investigation of Teachers’ Experiences of Typhoon Odette

This chapter aims to investigate the factors influencing school personnel’s protective actions in relation to schools’ response to hazards, particularly focusing on the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (internationally known as Rai) in December 2021 in the Philippines. The research analyzes interview results from three schools affected by Typhoon Odette by employing models for protective action decision-making to identify the variables that played a role in promoting school personnel’s responses as part of their school disaster risk reduction and management practices. This study also delves into the relevance between the training experiences of the personnel and the subsequent protective behaviors displayed during the typhoon. The findings reveal that training provided by the Philippines Department of Education in partnership with a Japanese nongovernmental organization did not significantly influence the protective actions taken by school personnel during Typhoon Odette. Instead, the study identifies institutional arrangements within the Department of Education and collaborations with external agencies as crucial factors influencing the school personnel’s actions. This chapter contributes to the existing literature by examining the specific factors that drive individual school personnel to undertake protective actions in the context of school-based disaster risk reduction. The focus on the protective behavior of personnel as responsible persons for their schools’ safety and the sustainability of education offers valuable insights into the understanding of how future training within the Department of Education can enhance disaster risk reduction and management practices of school personnel.