Towards a Trauma-informed Community of Tertiary Educators Through Professional Development

Higher-education institutions are becoming increasingly invested in measures to ensure the psychosocial safety of staff and students (Safe Work Australia, 2023). Students come to tertiary studies possessing cultural, social, and environmental experiences in which trauma has occurred. Educators need to be aware of the impact of trauma on student learning, as well as actionable trauma-informed teaching practices which can be integrated into the curriculum. This chapter provides insight into the pedagogical decisions used to enhance trauma-informed skills among staff who teach and support learning at a large Australian university. Working towards effective trauma-informed practices in higher education calls for a systematic approach, with ‘critical reflection and praxis’ among staff from all levels of an institution to enhance the educational experiences of the trauma-impacted community (Le Pichon & Lundy, 2023, p. 33). Academic developers have a role to play due to their unique position in supporting practice enhancements across all areas of an institution. This chapter includes reflections from two academic developers on initial steps in modelling trauma-informed teaching practices within the foundational professional development modules offered through a central learning and teaching department. These reflections are guided by the Advance HE 2023 Professional Standards Framework (PSF), a globally recognised framework used to benchmark effective learning and teaching practice. The PSF provides guidelines and standards for considering the effectiveness of teaching and places importance on considering context and inclusivity for learning. This chapter concludes with student-focussed teaching strategies for university educators and practical strategies for academic developers when they provide professional development to educators.