Thesis
Impacts on educators working in K-12 education settings with students who have trauma histories: A qualitative study
Masters by Research, Murdoch University
2025
Abstract
The impact of trauma on student learning is an emerging area of study for educational researchers. Little is known, however, about the impact on teachers of working with students with trauma histories, especially those students whose histories lead to them to suffer ongoing, or complex trauma. Current rates of compassion fatigue in the general teaching population are unknown, but research suggests that up to 50% of teachers suffering compassion fatigue through prolonged exposure to stress and burnout will potentially leave the profession in the next ten years. Furthermore, the secondary traumatic stress of their teachers potentially amplifies the adverse outcomes experienced by trauma-affected students. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to examine nine teachers’ experiences of working with students who have been exposed to trauma, which may lead to difficulties regulating emotional and behavioural responses. Results reveal a lack of trauma-informed training and educators, feeling unprepared to work with students with trauma histories, are often confronted with situations they feel ill-equipped to handle. The participating teachers were significantly affected by working with trauma-affected students. This effect was either magnified or mitigated by the level of support that they received from leaders at their school. The teachers who felt supported by leadership felt empowered to work through challenges; whereas teachers who felt unsupported were likely to move schools or leave the profession. Additionally, the teacher participants felt that current employee assistance programme (EAP) provisions were insufficient and difficult to access. Calls were made for a deeper system-wide awareness of trauma, with a higher emphasis on trauma training for teachers, and more policies to support teachers and students around trauma.
Details
- Title
- Impacts on educators working in K-12 education settings with students who have trauma histories: A qualitative study
- Authors/Creators
- Rhonda J Hamersley
- Contributors
- Judith MacCallum (Supervisor)Petra Skeffington (Supervisor)Laura Perry PhD (Supervisor) - Murdoch University, School of Education
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Masters by Research
- Identifiers
- 991005779521007891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Education
- Resource Type
- Thesis
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