Description
The presentation was presented at the Research-Teaching Nexus/Matrix Colloquium with Dr Jim McKinley - abstract: This presentation describes early outcomes from research on a pilot programme to integrate trauma-informed pedagogy in training for students enrolled on a MSc in TESOLIC and volunteering to teach English to Ukrainian Displaced People.The teaching research nexus (McKinley, 2019; McKinley et al., 2021), which refers to the overlap between research into language teaching and the teaching itself, is fundamental to this discussion, as the researchers/ teacher-educators and student-volunteers engage in a cycle of research-training-teaching-reflection-research:
Research: Trauma-informed pedagogy (Finn, 2010; Furneaus, 2018; Palanac, 2019; Stone, 1995) recognises and addresses the effects of trauma on the learning and development of individuals, and highlights the importance of creating a safe and supportive learning environment that fosters trust, empathy, resilience and growth.
Training: Drawing on this research, the researchers / teacher-educators devised and piloted a training programme for student-volunteers, incorporating a trauma-informed approach to teaching English to Ukrainian Displaced People.
Teaching: Student-volunteers observe, assist and teach classes for Ukrainian Displaced People attending a regular drop-in programme of English classes.
Reflection: Students-volunteers and researchers / teacher-educators meet on a regular basis to review experiences, compiling reflective diaries which focused on the impact of the trauma-informed pedagogy element of the training, among other features.
Research: Students-volunteers draw on their experiences and reflections for their dissertations, while researchers / teacher-educators analyse the data collected over the course of the cycle to develop understandings of how training for trauma-informed pedagogy can be effectively implemented.
As the intervention has created greater awareness of the challenges that all the stakeholders might encounter in working with vulnerable adults, early findings suggest they felt more confident with handling trauma-related issues in the classroom context and that the on-going cycle integrating research and teaching practices allows them to make informed decisions about their respective learning, emerging teaching strategies and developing understanding of the research.
Key words: teaching-research nexus, trauma-informed pedagogy; student-volunteers; refugees and asylum seekers; teacher education
| Period | 25 Aug 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Annual BAAL Conference: Opening Up Applied Linguistics |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | York, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | National |