Presentation description

Nearly half of all children experience at least one adverse childhood event (Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, 2013b). Trauma significantly impacts young children's development and learning (Downey & Crummy, 2022). Research on training on trauma has been linked to positive contributions to staff and children's well-being in childhood settings, such as preschool (Brunsek et al., 2020), and students' ability to reach their potential is linked to their educator's knowledge of child development (MacLochlainn et al., 2022). It has been shown that the content of trauma-informed training that teachers receive matters (Loomis & Felt, 2020, p. 13),. however, there is limited research on how much content on how many different topics an educator should receive in order to feel most confident in best supporting children that have experienced trauma. Teachers play a crucial role in identifying and supporting these children who have experienced trauma. Therefore, understanding how different training approaches affect teachers' self-efficacy may result in more effective preparation programs and ensure that these educators feel capable of handling difficult situations. I have researched the influence of the number of topics covered in trauma-informed training on preschool teachers' self-efficacy in dealing with trauma and their implementation of trauma-informed practices in the classroom. Therefore, this project is important for many reasons, such as that it enhances teacher preparedness. This research can help improve student outcomes because teachers who feel more confident in their ability to address trauma are more likely to implement trauma-informed practices consistently and effectively.