04/14/2021
By Robin Hall

The College of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by John Braga on “Shaping Teachers' Understanding of Trauma Through Professional Development: An Organizational Improvement Study.”

Date: Monday, April 26, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. EST
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should email Stacy_Szczesiul@uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Dissertation Chair: Stacy Szczesiul, Ed.D. Associate Professor, College of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dissertation Committee:

  • John McKenna, Ph.D., Associate Professor, College of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Donna Pobuk Ed.D., Scholar in Practice

Abstract:
The statistics around children and trauma exposure paint a bleak picture of future success. Children who experience trauma are fifteen times more likely to attempt suicide. Trauma-exposed children are three times more likely to experience depression and have serious job problems in the future. Approximately 42% of children have experienced a physical assault within a one-year period and close to 50% of children experience multiple exposures to violence throughout their lifetime. Trauma also has significant effects on the education process, including learning deficits, low distress tolerance, and physical outbursts. Supporting trauma-exposed children is both an educational and societal issue. Schools can learn and adopt the practices that fully engage trauma-exposed students in academic and social-emotional growth.


This study analyzed educator perceptions of trauma in three different areas: educator perceptions of trauma, educator perceptions of the effects of trauma, and educator perceptions of trauma-sensitive practices. The study occurred in the context of professional development designed to challenge and shape perceptions to support trauma-exposed students. Educators discussed their understanding of trauma through professional learning. Then through PD assignments and reflections, educators identified the steps they were willing to take to improve practice for trauma exposed students. Data from interviews and professional development transcripts, as well as PD work samples were reviewed to answer the questions below:

  • How, if at all, do opportunities to learn about trauma in the context of targeted professional development shape elementary school teachers’ perceptions of students who have experienced trauma?
  • How, if at all, do opportunities to learn about trauma and trauma-sensitive strategies in the context of targeted professional development inform teachers’ decisions about classroom practice?
  • What can be learned from a pilot professional development process to scale up support for teachers’ understanding of trauma and their capacity for implementing trauma-sensitive strategies?