Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Social Sciences and Humanities Open, cilt.13, 2026 (Scopus)
Understanding children's perceptions of nature and natural hazards is crucial for effectively implementing disaster risk reduction education. This study investigates the mental models of natural phenomena held by fourth-grade primary school students, emphasising their perceptions and visual representations of adverse impacts. Employing a qualitative phenomenological research approach, this study involved 13 students (eight boys and five girls) aged 9–10 years from a public primary school. Data were collected through student drawings depicting natural phenomena and their perceived destructive effects, accompanied by verbal explanations. The analysis of both visual and verbal data revealed that students predominantly associated natural phenomena with disasters, frequently illustrating floods, earthquakes, storms, and forest fires. Their depictions primarily emphasise damage, loss, and threats to human life and the environment, reflecting a harm-focused understanding of the natural world. Although students demonstrated a basic awareness of natural events, their perceptions were largely influenced by the context of disaster and risk. The findings suggest that children tend to conceptualise natural phenomena primarily in terms of their negative consequences rather than their ecological or life-sustaining roles in nature. In this context, the study underscores the importance of disaster education programs that not only raise awareness of natural hazards but also promote a balanced understanding of nature, resilience, and risk reduction from early childhood.