The impact of trauma-informed practices on academic outcomes of First Nations children: a pilot study of culturally responsive supports in Australia

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.