More than Informed: Structured Course Design for Developing Trauma-Responsive Teacher Attitudes

Teachers often enter the classroom unprepared to work with children who have experienced trauma. This convergent mixed-methods study examined whether intentional coursework could transform 14 graduate students’ (12 pursuing alternative certification) trauma-responsive attitudes. Using the ARTIC-35 and reflective journals, results showed significant gains across all attitude domains with large effect sizes, indicating meaningful disposition change. Qualitative findings revealed a shift in understanding children’s behavior as defiance to recognizing it as communication of unmet needs.