Teachers in protracted refugee contexts face significant challenges in addressing the profound psychological distress of learners, yet there is limited empirical research on the implementation and efficacy of trauma-informed pedagogies in such settings. This study aimed to measure the efficacy of a bespoke trauma-informed pedagogical training module for educators, assessing its impact on teaching practices and the classroom environment within a refugee camp. An ethnographic study was conducted, employing participant observation across multiple classrooms, in-depth interviews with 24 trained teachers, and focus group discussions with learners over an extended period of immersion in the camp. The training led to a marked shift in teacher–learner interactions, with a predominant theme of 'relational safety' emerging. Approximately 75% of observed educators consistently integrated at least three core trauma-informed practices, such as emotional check-ins and predictable routines, into daily lessons. The trauma-informed framework demonstrated significant efficacy in transforming pedagogical approaches, fostering safer and more supportive learning spaces that respond to the acute needs of the refugee context. Curriculum developers and teacher training programmes for refugee education should integrate contextually adapted trauma-informed principles. Ongoing, on-site mentorship for educators is crucial for sustaining pedagogical change. trauma-informed pedagogy, teacher development, refugee education, ethnographic research, Kakuma, psychosocial support This paper provides novel empirical evidence on the mechanisms through which a locally contextualised trauma-informed training model alters classroom dynamics and teacher practice in a refugee camp, a severely under-researched setting.
Mwangi et al. (Tue,) studied this question.