How can Educational Psychologists support the implementation of training on Trauma Informed Approaches in classroom practice?

Abstract

This thesis explores the barriers and facilitators for teachers implementing learning from professional development (PD) on Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) into their classroom practice. It consists of four chapters: a systematic literature review (SLR), an ethical and methodological critique, an empirical project, and a reflexive synthesis on the process of engaging in this research. Chapter 1 is a seven-stage meta ethnography. Initial scoping searches highlighted a gap in research in England drawing on teacher experiences of implementing TIP. The SLR therefore broadly considers: ‘What is known about teacher perceptions of training and implementation?’. Six papers were reviewed and synthesised. Findings highlighted several socio-political influences on the experience of teaching generally, with implications for the transfer of knowledge acquired through training into classroom practice. Specifically, there were differences between the content of training, and the context in which teachers practice. The level of teaching experience as well as school community factors may influence whether this is experienced positively or negatively. Opportunities to reflect and collaborate with peers were considered helpful for the implementation of training. Chapter 2 is a critical and reflective exploration of how the project progressed from the findings of the SLR to the empirical research. It also documents personal and professional experiences, and philosophical positioning that have shaped the decision-making process. Choices relating to methodology, research methods, and ethical considerations to the empirical project are outlined. Chapter 3 describes the empirical project, an exploration of four teacher's accounts of the barriers and facilitators to implementing learning from training on TIP in their school settings. The research utilised semi-structured interviews, and transcripts were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). An overarching model was generated to reflect how participants were making sense of their experiences through professional development, intrapersonal factors, community factors, and contextual factors. Implications are discussed and guiding principles for EPs developing and delivering training on TIP were offered, based on the principles of trauma informed approaches offered by SAMHSA (2019). Future research should consider broadening the scope of participants to privilege other staff voices (e.g., support staff), and children and young people attending a school implementing TIP. Chapter 4 includes a reflexive summary of my personal and professional learning through engaging in this research. It considers what I have learned about myself through engaging in IPA and research linked to relational approaches, a renewed appreciation for uncertainty, implications for my next steps as a qualified Educational Psychologist, and a critical reflection on TIP through a social justice lens.