Water and Flood Adaptation Education: from Theory to Practice

The risk of flooding is the main natural hazard that affects the European region. This hazard has worsened in the recent decades due to the urban occupation of flood areas and the effects of climate change. Therefore, in Spain, interest in this subject is accentuated in the case of future teachers because this issue is mandatory to teach in primary education (grades 1–6; social sciences subject). The aims of this research are to explore the instruction about flooding received by future teachers during their school and university period and propose the instruction curricular activities to do in classroom (primary education). Methodologically, a questionnaire was distributed among future teachers of primary education (Faculty of Teaching Training of the University of Valencia, Spain) during three academic courses (2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21). Also, the current curriculum was analysed (Royal Decree 126/2014, of February 28, which establishes the basic curriculum for primary education). Some results regarding the respondents’ perception show that most of the respondent did not receive such training (68.3%) during their school period. And regard with the information received about floods during the university stage (primary education teacher degree), the majority of the respondents did not receive any formation (89.1%). With reference to the curricular proposal activities, they are characterized by the problematization (critical methodology; activities that student should resolve problems).