All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects
Year of Award
2024
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
College
College of Arts & Sciences
Degree Program
Collaborative High Impact Instruction
Department
Education and Special Education
First Advisor
Jamie Doronkin
Second Advisor
Joanne Fish
Third Advisor
Gale Rice
Keywords
Trauma, Rural schools, Trauma-informed teaching, ACE
Abstract
Trauma presents a profound challenge to the process of meaning-making (Benazzo, 2021), particularly in educational settings where teachers' personal experiences can shape their interactions with students. This study addresses a critical problem of practice: rural teachers struggle in the classroom when working with students who have experienced or are currently experiencing trauma. The primary research question guiding this investigation was, "What are the lived experiences of teachers working in rural classrooms regarding their own personal and community trauma, their views on resilience, and their understanding of effectively implementing trauma-informed teaching?" This mixed-methods study involved 25 rural classroom teachers from a midwestern US public school district, investigating how their own trauma experiences influence their teaching and how they understand and apply trauma-informed practices. Data analysis revealed six emergent themes, offering insights into the teachers' perspectives on resilience, trauma sensitivity, and the challenges they face in implementing trauma-informed teaching. The findings suggest that while rural educators demonstrate considerable resilience, they face unique barriers—such as limited resources and community factors—that impact their ability to effectively implement trauma-informed practices. This research contributes to the field by highlighting the complex interplay between teachers' personal trauma histories, their professional practices, and the resilience-building strategies they employ in rural educational settings. The study offers recommendations for enhancing trauma-informed professional development in rural schools, ultimately aiming to improve educational outcomes for students affected by trauma.
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Allen, Wendy L., "Rural Classroom Teachers: Their Views on Trauma, Resilience, and Understanding of Effectively Implementing Trauma-Informed Teaching" (2024). All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects. 678.
https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/all-etds/678
