THE PERCEPTIONS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO EXPERIENCED THE 6 FEBRUARY 2023 KAHRAMANMARAŞ EARTHQUAKE ABOUT EARTHQUAKE: A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Abstract

On 6 February 2023, two major earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş turned into a major disaster for Turkey due to its impact area, loss of life and loss of life. This study, in which the perceptions of students who experienced this earthquake about the earthquake were examined, was conducted with 40 secondary school students studying in Gaziantep. Phenomenology design was used in the research in which qualitative research method was used. The data collected using a semi-structured interview form were subjected to content analysis. In the light of the data obtained, it was observed that the participants had high levels of knowledge about the basic concepts of earthquake, the mechanism of earthquake formation and the predictability of earthquake, but some students had low levels of knowledge. It was determined that some students lacked knowledge about the behaviours that should be done during an earthquake. It was concluded that the earthquake caused a great trauma from the feedback given by the students participating in the study about what they felt and did during the earthquake. At this point, it is obvious that individuals who have experienced an earthquake, especially children, need strong psychosocial support. Based on the findings of the research, it is recommended that knowledge about earthquakes should be increased in the whole society and units should be established to provide psychosocial support to those affected after earthquakes.