Assessing Teacher Attitudes Toward Trauma-Informed Education:

Are We Measuring What Matters?

Abstract

Teachers’ attitudes toward trauma-informed approaches to education are frequently targeted for intervention in training offered to school systems intending to implement trauma-informed practices. This focus on attitudes is grounded in the assumption that teachers’ attitudes serve as either barriers or facilitators toward actualizing trauma-informed education. However, little research has focused on general attitudes toward trauma-informed care (TIC) among teachers. This quantitative study sought to assess the general attitudes toward TIC among pk-12 teachers in a mid-sized urban center in the U.S. Southwest. Participants completed the Attitudes Toward Trauma-Informed Care in Schools (ARTIC-10 school edition). Findings suggest that teacher attitudes toward TIC in this population are positive, independent of any training in this area. We argue that school districts and researchers should consider assessing variables more proximal to the classroom behaviors trauma-informed professional development is meant to facilitate and suggest new methods may be necessary to accomplish this.