LIfTs Research and Conference workshops
LIfTS Fellows and Research Associates Present at NEPA Two proposals submitted by doctoral students in the Educational Studies program of GSOE have been accepted for presentation at the New England Psychological Association [NEPA] conference to be held on October 20-21 at Worcester State University.
Based on research conducted as part of the Lesley Institute for Trauma-Sensitivity [LIfTS] Fellowship initiative, each poster presentation focuses on educators’ perceptions of trauma.
Kelly McDermott, Elle Montauban, Natalya Rakevich, and Nick Suchecki surveyed educators in a preK -12 setting in the US and Ukraine. Sarah Kipp and Kelly Vogel studied a sample of faculty members in higher ed.
Perspectives in Education: Educators' Perceptions of Trauma
Trauma in Educational Settings
Kelly McDermott, Elle Montauban, Natalya Rakevich, and Nick Suchecki
The purpose of the study: We investigated educators’ definition of trauma utilizing a narrative frame and gathering short answer survey responses. This study asked educators the question, How do you as an educator define trauma? We utilized the definition of trauma from SAMHSA as a guide to understand the definition provided by the educators. The objective of this exploratory case study was to understand how educators in these four varied settings define trauma.
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This qualitative exploratory study was a pilot crafted with the intention to be a precursor to future research. The study was conducted through a partnership of fellows at Lesley University’s Institute for Trauma Sensitivity. Convenience sampling was utilized and short survey responses were gathered through Qualtrics for anonymity. Participants were from four varied sites including a group of elementary and middle school educators in the Ukrainian non-occupied territories of Kirovograd and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The other three sites were in Massachusetts. Educators in an urban fully inclusive K-12 school, early childhood educators in a smaller suburban school, and music educators working across multiple suburban schools participated in the study. The objective of this exploratory case study was to evaluate how educators in these four varied settings defined trauma. We adopted the definition of trauma from SAMHSA (2023), for analysis purposes. Results were analyzed employing a structured tabular approach designed by Robinson (2022), for working with brief texts to develop and analyze themes.
Educators’ Perceptions of Trauma in Higher Education
Perceptions of trauma held by educators in a higher education setting
Sarah M. Kipp, PhD and Kelly Vogel, MA
Our research study was designed to explore the perceptions held by educators in a higher education setting with regard to four areas:
their conceptions of trauma;
the prevalence of trauma in their student population;
their responsibility as educators to create trauma-sensitive environments;
and their needs as educators to address the impact of trauma on learning.
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perceptions of trauma and learning in a higher education setting. The survey had four areas of focus (conceptions of trauma, prevalence, responsibility, and needs). Twenty-one participants from one Massachusetts college completed the survey anonymously, and responses were collected electronically for review and analysis by the research team. The research team used a structured tabular approach for conducting a thematic analysis of participants’ responses. After conducting multiple rounds of individual coding, members of the research team met to identify notable higher-level themes, findings, and selected quotes from participant responses.
The first finding referenced what educators perceive and associate with a trauma response. Participants referenced students’ experiences of anxiety; issues with focus and concentration; depression; self-doubt; emotional triggers; sleep disturbance; and perfectionism. Participants also reported disruption to academic performance and referenced issues with attendance; participation; dropping out; turning in work late; inability to connect with material; and difficulty participating. The second finding of the study suggested that although educators feel a responsibility to respond to students who have experienced trauma, the toll that providing support takes is notable. Participants referenced their own experience of feeling “overwhelmed,” “exhausted,” and “helpless.” The third finding indicated that many educators do not feel at all prepared or for working with students who have experienced trauma. Those who felt somewhat or well-prepared often credited their own personal experiences/lived experiences with trauma as contributing to their sense of preparedness. Participants did not report having had formal training in creating trauma-sensitive learning environments.
These findings provide important insights when advocating for and creating trauma-sensitive learning environments within higher education. The results of this research also inform what potential challenges may need to be addressed before initiating and implementing changes within a higher education setting. The findings from this study may be used to enhance training designed to support educators in embracing trauma-informed approaches to learning. This research study also has the potential to make more visible the role that educators play in students’ success in higher education settings when students are navigating their experiences of trauma.