Author Identifier (ORCID)
Kay Ayre: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8505-6940
Abstract
This pilot observational study examined the effectiveness of trauma-informed and culturally responsive behavior support practices on the academic outcomes of predominantly First Nations children in an Australian primary school. The research supports integrating culturally relevant ways of knowing, being and doing into prevalent pedagogical and behavior support practices. The cohort study found that the co-designed, multi-tier Trauma-informed Behaviour Support program improved students’ literacy and numeracy scores over 2 years. The findings highlight the complex relationship between behavioral difficulties and academic abilities. Changes in numeracy scores were significantly higher for students with improved teacher-reported rates of disruptive behaviors. In contrast, changes in literacy scores were equivalent between students with and without such improvements. The findings suggest that educators can improve academic outcomes by promoting cultural safety across the school and making the curriculum more flexible, engaging, and relevant. Further implications for educators, policymakers, and researchers working with First Nations students are discussed.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
12-1-2024
Volume
11
Issue
1
Publication Title
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
School
School of Education
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Krishnamoorthy, G., Harrison, E., Ayre, K., Forooshani, S. A., Berger, E., Rees, B., ... & Ulhaq, A. (2024). The impact of trauma-informed practices on academic outcomes of First Nations children: A pilot study of culturally responsive supports in Australia. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03892-8