From Stories to Safety: Digital Storytelling as a Pedagogical Tool for Disaster Management in Elementary Schools

Digital storytelling (DST) has emerged as a dynamic educational strategy that integrates narrative, multimedia, and interactive technology to enhance learning outcomes. In elementary education, DST offers a promising avenue for disaster management education, where students must develop not only cognitive understanding but also emotional awareness, preparedness, and practical safety skills. Traditional methods, such as lectures and drills, often fail to engage young learners meaningfully, limiting retention and motivation. This literature review synthesizes research from 2015–2025 across three intersecting domains: digital storytelling, disaster management education, and elementary pedagogy. The review explores theoretical frameworks, including constructivist learning, multimedia learning, experiential learning, and narrative transportation, and evaluates empirical studies on DST in K–12 education. Evidence suggests that DST enhances engagement, retention, collaboration, and critical thinking, yet its application in disaster education remains underexplored, particularly in India. Identified gaps highlight the need for structured DST interventions to improve cognitive and affective outcomes in elementary learners. The findings provide a foundation for developing innovative, narrative-driven disaster management curricula that promote safety awareness, resilience, and lifelong learning skills.