Earthquake Safety Awareness, Understanding, and Performance of Duck, Cover, and Hold among Students and Teachers of Dapa National High School

Earthquake preparedness is vital in reducing risks and enhancing the safety of school communities during seismic events. This study assessed the earthquake safety awareness, understanding, and performance of Duck, Cover, and Hold (DCH) among students and teachers of Dapa National High School during the School Year 2025–2026. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed involving 347 students selected through stratified random sampling and 40 teachers selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a validated researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation.
The findings revealed that students demonstrated a high level of earthquake safety awareness and understanding (M = 3.28, SD = 0.68), while teachers exhibited a very high level of awareness and understanding (M = 3.63, SD = 0.514). In terms of Duck, Cover, and Hold (DCH) performance, students obtained a mean score of 3.31 (SD = 0.68), indicating moderate performance, while teachers obtained a mean score of 3.37 (SD = 0.52), also indicating moderate performance. Inferential analysis revealed significant differences in selected dimensions of students’ earthquake safety awareness, understanding, and performance when grouped according to age and grade level, whereas no significant differences were found when grouped according to sex. Similarly, teachers’ earthquake safety awareness, understanding, and performance showed no significant differences when grouped according to age, sex, and specialization. Furthermore, no significant relationship was found between teachers’ and students’ combined awareness and understanding of earthquake safety (r = -0.137, p = .398). Based on the findings, it is recommended that the school strengthen disaster preparedness programs through continuous training, regular earthquake drills, and monitoring activities to further enhance earthquake readiness and resilience among students and teachers.

Earthquake Safety, Duck Cover and Hold (DCH), Disaster Preparedness Program, School Safety, Protection Motivation Theory

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