Roadblocks and Enablers for Teacher Engagement in Professional Development Opportunities Aimed at Supporting Trauma-informed Classroom Pedagogical Practice

Roadblocks and Enablers for Teacher Engagement in Professional Development Opportunities Aimed at Supporting Trauma-informed Classroom Pedagogical Practice

This paper is based on a research approach that aims to explore and explain the roadblocks and enablers for mainstream classroom teachers engaging in professional development and training focused on trauma informed pedagogical practices.. Teachers seeking resources that promote discrete behavioural and cognitive skills in the social emotional developmental domain can easily access advocacy, policy articles and resource materials that are in the form of guides, toolkits, and programs. Notwithstanding this, a second focus area is the relational approach whereby the main tenet is children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development is dependent on the relational context in which they spend their time. It is an area that emphasises the interpersonal skills of adults rather than focusing on the knowledge and behavioural skills of the child. A considerable body of research exists that supports the relational approach of trauma informed practice to mitigate the effects of risk factors in the lives of children with developmental trauma. The aim of this paper is to assess and discuss the methodology, rationale, and results for this research through examining the qualitative research process undertaken with a group of mainstream primary school teachers. This paper will examine the outcomes of the teacher interviews that highlight the roadblocks and enablers for teachers engaging in education and training to enhance their skills and knowledge on being trauma informed in their teaching practices. These results have significant implications for future framework development in school settings.

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