Exploring Public, Primary School Educators’ Perceptions Of Adverse Childhood Experiences

<p>This qualitative narrative inquiry was used to explore public primary school (K–8) educators’ perceptions of ACEs and how their understanding of ACEs might contribute to creating a trauma-sensitive school climate. The conceptual framework of the study was centered on Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory, with the premise that learning and change require: (a) a recognition of one’s own biases, norms, and constructs, which would be followed by (b) reflection, (c) the realization that change is needed, and (d) a willingness to learn (Mezirow, 1991).</p> <p>Ten public school K–8 educators from the state of Maine participated in semistructured interviews that were transcribed and developed into narratives. The analysis yielded five themes from the participants’ restoried narratives. These themes included (a) the importance of relationships with students, (b) inconsistent professional development opportunities for knowledge of ACEs and trauma-informed care (TIC), (c) a lack of preparation through college coursework, (d) meeting students’ basic needs, and (e) teachers’ lack of understanding regarding how to implement TIC. The major finding was the perceived importance of relationships as a mitigating factor on the effects of ACEs on students. The findings of this study could be useful to educators and administrators who are studying ACEs and TIC.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year dc:date.available

2021

Author dc:creator

• Berry, Jessica

Contributors dc:contributor

• Andrea Disque
• Jennifer L. Crawford
• Christina Wotton

• Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
• Educational Leadership

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dune.une.edu/theses/347

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dune.une.edu:theses-1346