Teachers’ experiences and recommendations to support refugee students exposed to trauma

Abstract

Children from refugee backgrounds often experience multiple traumatic events and schools are uniquely placed to support these students. This study examined the experiences of teachers in supporting students from refugee backgrounds who have experienced trauma. Six teachers participated in interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis. Teachers reported challenges related to limited sharing of relevant background information, uncertainty about presenting classroom lessons sensitively, when to refer students for specialised intervention, and how best to support refugee students when external factors create continued challenges. The effectiveness of existing practices and recommendations for tailoring trauma-informed practices for this student population are discussed. The results are also discussed in the context of social constructivism and how teachers use their interactions with students and colleagues to inform how they respond to refugee students exposed to trauma.

Early Childhood Professionals’ Perspectives on Dealing with Trauma of Children

“…Early childhood professionals also identified the importance of support from colleagues when working with trauma-exposed children. The findings of this research support the results of earlier work from primary and secondary schools (Alisic, 2012;Berger et al, 2021a, b;Berger & Meltzer, 2021;Barrett &Chudzik et al's (2022) results in the early childhood special education sector in the USA. Together, these results highlight the need for trauma-informed professional learning and training for early childhood educators.…”

“…Research designed to capture the experiences and perceptions of individuals and groups is best conducted using a qualitative approach. This study extends on earlier research by the researchers (e.g., Davies & Berger, 2019;Berger, 2021a, b;Berger & Meltzer, 2021;Barrett & Berger 2021) on the experiences of primary and secondary teachers and school staff when supporting trauma-exposed students. This work also extends research by Chudzik et al (2022) with early childhood special education teachers in the USA through exploring the experiences of Australian early childhood professionals when supporting trauma-exposed children.…”

“…Results from the current research indicate that early educators experience emotion exhaustion and burnout from role demands associated with supporting traumatised children (e.g., managing challenging behaviours). However, educators also experience fulfilment from their careers and have many strengths to combat burnout, including connection with their formal and informal social networks (Berger et al, 2021a, b, ;Berger & Meltzer, 2021;Barrett & Berger, 2021). The benefits of professional support and development have been documented in research by Lipscomb et al (2022).…”

“…Due to their frequent contact with students, educators are in a valuable position to identify behavioural changes in children that may indicate exposure to trauma, and to respond, preventing further harm for these children (Alisic, 2012). Despite this, educators and school staff report that they lack appropriate training and knowledge, and experience symptoms of emotional burnout and secondary trauma in response to traumatised students (Alisic, 2012;Berger, 2019Berger et al, 2021aBerger & Meltzer, 2021;Barrett & Berger, 2021).…”

“…Finally, the sample consisted of 14 early childhood educators and contained educators aged over 35 years of age with six or more years of experience in early childhood education. Prior research by Berger et al (2021a, b;Berger & Meltzer 2021;Barrett & Berger 2021) suggests that teachers with more years of experience are more confident in response to trauma-impacted children compared to educators with less experience. Therefore, future research may benefit from conducting a similar study with younger early childhood educators and those with less years of experience, or a quantitative study to explore the association between educators' age, years of experience in early childhood, and knowledge and confidence to respond to trauma-exposed children.…”