Investigators
Ella Carton (PhD Student), Dr Alix Woolard (The Kids), Professor Karen Martin (University of Tasmania), Professor Rhonda Clifford (UWA), Dr Monique Platell (UWA)
Project description
Exposure to trauma can impact on every stage of a child’s development and influence a child’s mental and physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, and their educational outcomes. One way to potentially reduce the impact of trauma on children is to educate teachers about trauma and promote trauma-informed practice, as teachers spend so much time with children, and need to know how to adequately respond to the needs of all school children. If teachers are not educated or provided with the knowledge to respond to the changes in students’ concerning behaviours and emotions, they may risk retraumatising students impacted by trauma and/or adverse outcomes associated with childhood trauma.
This study aims to investigate early career teachers’ education, knowledge, perceptions and experiences of trauma-informed practice in Western Australia (WA). This is a mixed methods project and involves the following studies: (1) A scoping review to determine the current literature exploring early career teachers’ perspectives and experiences of trauma-informed practice education and training and; (2) In-depth, semi-structured interviews with primary and secondary school early career teachers in their first year of teaching. Study two incorporates two samples; (1) Primary school early career teachers and; (2) Secondary school early career teachers.
This project has potential benefits for school children and staff; their families; the wider community; universities and; educational departments, along with helping to inform gaps in knowledge and training about trauma and trauma-informed practice across WA.
For more information, please contact Ella Carton ella.carton@telethonkids.org.au