Effects of Trauma-Informed Training on Teacher Perceptions of Child Outcomes: Student-Teacher Relationships, Behavior, and Expulsion Risk

Abstract

A growing number of early childhood education (ECE) programs are using trauma-informed trainings to support teachers in better managing children’s trauma-related challenging behaviors. However, there is not a great deal of research on how effective these programs are for improving children’s school-related outcomes. This study examines whether a 6-hour trauma-informed training provided to preschool teachers was related to children’s child expulsion risk, teacher perception of child behavior, and student-teacher relationships. Seventy-four teachers from 7 elementary schools in the Mountain West region received a six-hour trauma-informed training over three months. Children’s school-related outcomes were collected through teacher report in pre- and post-training surveys. Linear growth modeling was used to estimate change in children’s outcomes over time, adjusting for child gender and student-teacher racial/ethnic match. There were significant decreases in child disruption, a subscale of expulsion risk, and improvements in student-teacher closeness following training; no other child outcomes changed significantly. More evidence-based research is needed to support or refute whether trauma-informed training is effective and promotes positive child outcomes.