The Impact of Targeted Professional Development for Trauma-Informed Strategies on Teacher Efficacy in Managing Student Behavior in an Alternative School Setting

Even though there has been a significant rise in the occurrences of childhood trauma, school districts have been reluctant to consider the implications for students and deliver professional development for teachers in the use of trauma-informed strategies. The purpose of the design-based school improvement intervention was to introduce trauma-informed practices to positively impact the management of student behavior and build stronger teacher-student relationships for secondary teachers in a District Alternative Educational Program. In this qualitative study, the researcher measured the impact of targeted professional development, which included a better understanding of trauma, the populations of students that trauma impacts disproportionally, the effective use of selected trauma-informed strategies, and the use of self- care strategies. Findings revealed positive impacts on the participants’ effectiveness in managing student behavior and cultivating and sustaining positive teacher-student relationships. The data collected in the study, including participant interviews, surveys, observations, and journal entries, reveals the potential for wider implementation of the study.