Enhancing ‘Best Practice’ in Trauma-Informed Social Work Education: Insights from a Study Exploring Educator and Student Experiences - Final version

Sep 2, 2026

This paper reports findings from a study examining educator and student experiences of teaching and learning trauma material within social work education, and the use of trauma-informed principles. Two purposive samples were recruited: seven educators across two higher education institutes, and eight enrolled student social workers. Educator semi-structured interviews and a student self-reporting survey informed analysis using a deductive-inductive thematic approach. Findings identify five key trauma-informed teaching themes plus resilience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatDOCX

Pages34

Reading Time12 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress

Enhancing ‘Best Practice’ in Trauma-Informed Social Work Education: Insights from a Study Exploring Educator and Student Experiences Abstract This paper reports findings of a study exploring educator and student experiences of teaching and learning trauma-material and application of trauma-informed principles to social work education. Two purposeful participant samples were recruited. Sample one included seven educators teaching trauma-material across two Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) delivering Professional Qualifying Social Work Programmes approved by Social Work England. Sample two included eight student social workers enrolled at the HEIs. Data collection methods included educator semi-structured interviews and a student self-reporting survey. Analysis used a deductive-inductive thematic approach. Highest frequency of comparable statements within data were coded into five overlapping themes indicative of trauma-informed teaching principles identified within literature including: (1) ensuring safety (2) maximising choice (3) encouraging collaboration (4) establishing trustworthiness and (5) prioritising empowerment. A sixth theme (6) promoting resilience was identified. Findings highlight educators’ understanding of vicarious trauma and the relevance for (re)traumatisation of students’ adverse experience and risk of secondary traumatic stress in the classroom. This understanding was found to be embedded in educators’ pedagogical practice(s) and how educators predominantly applied trauma-informed teaching principles implicitly in the classroom was identified. Experiences of receiving teaching in a trauma-informed way were shared by students who shared examples of practices in the classroom where educators ensured safety and established trust by encouraging their collaboration while offering them choice to engage with trauma-material. These findings indicate essential to ‘best practice’ is educators’ need to develop pedagogical practices based on an enhanced awareness of trauma-informed teaching principles to help moderate the risks to students and themselves associated with exposure to trauma-material in the classroom. Key words: Vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, trauma-informed social work education Introduction Background In the general population there is prevalence of people who have experienced a range of adversity in childhood resulting in trauma (Cunningham, 2004). However, where student social workers are concerned, prevalence of different kinds of adverse childhood experience (ACE) including different forms of abuse may be statistically higher than incidence across the population as a whole (Butler, 2017). For example, Butler (2017) found 77.8% of students entering a postgraduate social work programme reported one or more ACE. Previously, Didham et al. (2011, p.553) found a majority of social work students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels reported experience of adversity in childhood and/or as an adult. In the same study, the authors noted that by the programme's end a majority of students reported exposure to trauma-related material of significance to them including at least one ‘personally upsetting or disturbing event’ during their practice-based learning. In view of the evidence-base, Butler, Carello and Maguin (2016) highlight the importance of a trauma-informed approach to teaching which acknowledges the potential impact of exposure to trauma-related material for social work students. Butler, Carello and Maguin (2016) draw attention to importance of pedagogical practices which help avoid risk of vicarious trauma and/or secondary traumatic stress, while assisting students in personal development which helps them to engage effectively with those whom they may encounter in the practice context. As Bride (2007) found, nearly all qualified practitioners in his study were working with people who had experienced trauma and 70.2% of participants reported at least one sympt

FAQs

What did the study investigate about trauma-informed social work education?

The study explored educator and student experiences of teaching and learning trauma material, focusing on how trauma-informed principles are applied in social work education.

How were the study participants recruited and what data were collected?

Seven educators and eight student social workers were recruited. Data were collected through educator semi-structured interviews and a student self-reporting survey.

What trauma-informed teaching themes were identified in the findings?

The analysis coded five overlapping themes: ensuring safety, maximising choice, encouraging collaboration, establishing trustworthiness, and prioritising empowerment, with a sixth theme of promoting resilience.

Sep 2, 2026

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