Mason, Jeramey;
(2025)
Navigating Trauma-Informed Education: Teacher Reflections from a London Secondary School.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
There is a growing interest in trauma-informed approaches (TIAs) within education, particularly in response to the increasing needs of children and young people affected by adversity. As such, the dominant narrative in the literature has largely been focused on student outcomes, with limited attention given to the experiences, needs, and wellbeing of the teachers and school professionals responsible for embedding and sustaining these approaches. In response, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of staff navigating trauma-informed approaches within the high-pressure context of a secondary school. Guided by interpretivist and social constructivist perspectives, the study sought to understand how participants made sense of and engaged with TIAs in their everyday professional roles. A qualitative methodology was employed, involving semi-structured interviews and lesson observations with six participants from a London secondary school. Participants were engaged in a borough-wide trauma-informed pilot. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings suggested that participants experienced TIAs as an ongoing journey, both emotionally demanding and professionally meaningful. Engaging with TIAs led to renewed professional identity and a strengthened sense of purpose. This was underpinned by expanded knowledge and a shared relational language. Informal, peer-led coaching relationships were identified as a significant mechanism for sustaining trauma-informed values. These also supported staff wellbeing as they offered spaces for shared reflection and mutual accountability. These findings highlight the importance of recognising and supporting the emotional and relational labour required to embed trauma-informed approaches. The study contributes to the growing literature by reframing TIAs as beneficial not only for students, but also for the professionals who support them. It also underscores the need for systemic structures that sustain this work over time.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Navigating Trauma-Informed Education: Teacher Reflections from a London Secondary School |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211767 |
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