@article {bnh-1657,
	title = {Children{\textquoteright}s knowledge of bushfire emergency response},
	journal = {International Journal of Wildland Fire},
	volume = {24},
	year = {2015},
	month = {10/03/2015},
	pages = {179-189},
	chapter = {179},
	abstract = {<p><span>In the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfire disaster, the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommended that bushfire education be made a formal part of the Australian national curriculum. Crucially, the success of any hazards education program depends on the degree to which the learner{\textquoteright}s existing knowledge and experience is accommodated in the education process. Yet accommodating children{\textquoteright}s knowledge in bushfire education is hampered by a lack of research on how children conceptualise bushfire hazards. To address this gap, this paper presents a detailed qualitative analysis of children{\textquoteright}s knowledge of bushfire hazards with a specific focus on emergency response. Across four bushfire-prone locations in south-eastern Australia, 26 focus group interviews were conducted with 87 children aged between 8 and 12 years. To better understand the construction of children{\textquoteright}s knowledge, individual interviews were also conducted with 37 parents. Through their engagement in the research process, children demonstrated a capacity for engaging in serious discussions about bushfire hazards and although their knowledge was often characterised by gaps and misconceptions, they also demonstrated a capacity for understanding the fundamental principles of emergency response, particularly when they had been involved in bushfire planning within their household.</span></p>},
	keywords = {Emergency management, hazards education, Wildfire},
	doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF13153},
	url = {http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=WF13153},
	author = {Briony Towers}
}
