https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0333-8969
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ABSTRACT
This paper reports findings of a study exploring educator and student experiences of teaching and learning trauma-material. Two participant samples were recruited. Sample one included seven educators teaching trauma-material across two Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) delivering Social Work Programmes approved by Social Work England. Sample two included eight student social workers enrolled at the HEIs. Methods included educator semi-structured interviews and a student survey. Analysis used a deductive-inductive thematic approach. Highest frequency of comparable statements within data were coded into five themes indicative of trauma-informed teaching principles identified within literature including: (1) ensuring safety (2) maximising choice (3) encouraging collaboration (4) establishing trustworthiness and (5) prioritising empowerment. A sixth theme (6) promoting resilience was identified. Findings highlight educators’ understanding of vicarious trauma and relevance for risk of (re)traumatisation in the classroom of students’ experience of childhood adversity. This understanding was embedded in educators’ pedagogical practice(s) and how trauma-informed teaching principles were implicitly applied was identified. Experiences of receiving teaching in a trauma-informed way were shared by students. Findings indicate essential to ‘best practice’ is educators’ need to enhance awareness of trauma-informed teaching to help moderate risks to students and themselves associated with exposure to trauma-material in the classroom.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. The term Educators by Experience (EbE) describes people who are involved in social work education through virtue of their personal experiences with social services. The term is explained in more detail in a paper by Lonbay, Cavener, O'Driscoll and Chappell (Citation2020).
2. Programme directors is the term used here to describe educators who were in a position of overseeing all social work programmes within the HEI.
3. While the reader is directed to review the essential literature (e.g. Egan et al., Citation2011) which explores important related issues including the complex relationship between ACE, (re)traumatisation, neurological development, emotion regulation, problem-solving and capacity to learn, it is acknowledged a detailed outline is beyond the scope of this paper.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
John Cavener
Dr. John Cavener is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Northumbria University
Sarah Lonbay
Dr. Sarah Lonbay is an Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Engagement at Sunderland University