Why Do You Work with Struggling Students? Teacher Perceptions of Meaningful Work in Trauma-Impacted Classrooms - Volume 43 - Issue 2 - Article 7

Oct 15, 2026

Study on meaningful work (MW) and its negative impacts among teachers in trauma-impacted classrooms. Drawing on a cross-sectional sample of primary and secondary teachers (N=18), the research identifies two interrelated sources of MW: practice pedagogy and teacher wellbeing. These sources are further analyzed through Rosso, Dekas, and Wrzesniewski’s four mechanisms of MW—individuation, self-connection, contribution, and unification—supporting the development of trauma-informed pedagogies that address student needs while incorporating teachers’ own meaning domains.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 43 | Issue 2 | Article 7 | | --- | --- | 2018 Why Do You Work with Struggling Students? Teacher Perceptions of Meaningful Work in Trauma-Impacted Classrooms TomBrunzell University of Melbourne, [tbrunzell@student.unimelb.edu.au](tbrunzell@student.unimelb.edu.au) Helen Stokes University of Melbourne Lea Waters University of Melbourne Recommended Citation Brunzell, T., Stokes, H., & Waters, L. (2018). Why Do You Work with Struggling Students? Teacher Perceptions of Meaningful Work in Trauma-Impacted Classrooms. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (2). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n2.7](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n2.7) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss2/7](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss2/7) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Why Do You Work with Struggling Students? Teacher Perceptions of Meaningful Work in Trauma-Impacted Classrooms Tom Brunzell Helen Stokes Lea Waters University of Melbourne Abstract: This study contributed new findings to the construct of meaningful work (MW) and negative impacts on MW. In other professional samples, finding meaning in work has been shown to bean effective buffer when facing workplace adversity. However, prior investigation has neither identified nor explored the specific sources and mechanisms of meaningful work that teachers derive from educating trauma-affected students. Within a cross-sectional sample of primary and secondary teachers (N = 18) working in trauma affected classrooms, two interrelated sources of MW: (1) practice pedagogy and (2) teacher wellbeing were further analysed for discussion via Rosso, Dekas, and Wrzesniewski’s (2010)four mechanisms of MW (i.e., individuation, self-connection, contribution, and unification). These findings argue for the new development of trauma-informed pedagogies that both (1) enable teachers to redress the complex and unmet needs of students and (2) incorporate domains of meaning that teachers bring to their trauma-affected work. Introduction This study makes a novel contribution to the paradigm of workplace meaning that has yet to be explored for this specific professional cohort by determining sources of meaningful work (MW) that teachers believed sustained them in their trauma-affected classrooms. Originating from the contention that MW may be a fulcrum for increasing both traumainformed practice pedagogy and workplace wellbeing, the rational for this study was further bolstered by the call for the continued theorizing, research, and intervention for positive states, traits, and behaviours for employees under the paradigm of positive organizational behaviour (Bakker & Schaufeli, 2008; Luthans, 2002) . Calls have been made for the next phase of research to investigate experiential dimensions of MW, beyond the conditions, factors, and conceptual pathways previously explored (Steger et al., 2012; Wrzesniewski, 2003) . Dik and colleagues (2013, p. 364) ask: In what ways can MW be “fostered, encouraged, elicited, or increased” and in what ways can an individual’s work be made more meaningful? Teachers who choose to educate vulnerable and trauma-affected students often do so because positive social change gives their work meaning (Pines, 2002) . Yet many teachers struggle with effective strategies to manage disruptive and disengaged student behaviours (Sullivan et al., 2014) . The challenges of working with trauma-affected students can lead to burnout (Abel & Sewell, 1999; Antoniou, Ploumpi, & Ntalla, 2013; Farber, 1991; RojasFlores et al., 2015) and to exiting the profession (Betoret, 2009; Hakanen, Bakker, & Schaufeli, 2006; Karsenti & Collins, 2013) . In fact, research suggests that up to 25% of Vol 43, 2, February 2018 116 Australian Journal of Teacher Education teachers want to leave the profession due to problems arising from dis

FAQs

What does the study examine about teachers in trauma-impacted classrooms?

It examines meaningful work (MW) and its negative impacts, focusing on what sources sustain teachers’ MW in trauma-affected settings.

Which two sources of meaningful work are identified in the study?

The study identifies practice pedagogy and teacher wellbeing as two interrelated sources of meaningful work.

How are the sources of meaningful work analyzed in the research?

The two sources are analyzed using Rosso, Dekas, and Wrzesniewski’s four mechanisms of MW: individuation, self-connection, contribution, and unification.

Oct 15, 2026

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