Karin Doolan

Epochal shifts in weather patterns and piercing climate extremes have dramatically changed the landscape of educational research. Educational researchers increasingly conduct research in suddenly adverse circumstances, and studies have emerged on disaster preparedness and post-disaster impacts, including student academic performance and educational choices, the emotional and physical well-being of students and teachers, the suitability of schools as evacuation shelters and aid distribution hubs, schools’ role in supporting their communities post-disaster, and school leadership in emergencies. These studies span diverse educational contexts and a multitude of disasters, from fires in California and Australia to hurricanes in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas, and from cyclones in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to earthquakes in New Zealand, Taiwan, Nepal and Italy. However, we are still missing a comprehensive vision for educational research in the aftermath of disasters. In this lecture, I outline such a vision by reflecting on the emergent field of research on education and disasters and share my own experiences carrying out research on school life in areas affected by earthquakes or floods. My reflections and propositions aim to encapsulate how theory can be activated in educational research on disasters; the urgency to move beyond conventional research methods in post-disaster zones; blind spots in educational research such as the crucial role of technical staff (e.g. school cleaners) in disaster recovery; and the ways in which educational research can move away from simply identifying challenges to more actively contributing to school resilience and enhancing the role of schools as community “anchors” post-disaster. As an integral aspect of this vision for educational research in post-disaster settings, I advocate a feminist ethics of care, as well as self-care, as indispensable to the research process itself.