A Phenomenological Qualitative Study of Flood Disasters Experienced by Louisiana School Communities
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2021-12
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Abstract
Floods impact millions of people annually. Flood-related disasters in Louisiana from 2005-2020 resulted in losses of life, property, and normalcy. The problem is school communities in Louisiana are often unprepared for flood disasters since maintaining daily academic rigor and operational status are the priorities for resource and time allocation. There was a gap in the literature addressing how to dedicate time and resources to prepare for, and recover from, flood disasters in Louisiana public and private K4-12 schools. Twenty administrators and teachers of the K4-12 school communities impacted in Louisiana by flood disasters from 2005 to 2020 comprised the sample population. Virtual interviews were conducted; inductive themes were generated using NVivo 12. The theoretical frameworks were adaptive leadership and functional theory. The research questions allowed exploration of teacher and school leaders’ experiences and shared meanings regarding resource allocation and recovery efforts in Louisiana school communities. Recommendations included (a) proactive emotional trauma training, (b) creating partnerships with other schools located reasonable distances away for campus use post-flood, (c) using technology within the classroom daily, (d) use of cloud-based technology for records and communication, (d) maintaining appropriate savings and insurance policies, and (e) having community partnerships. Leadership implications included positive organic change and considerations for policy changes.
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Milazzo, S. (2021). A Phenomenological Qualitative Study of Flood Disasters Experienced by Louisiana School Communities [unpublished doctoral dissertation]. American College of Education.