Faculty perspectives on pedagogical considerations of violent content in their classrooms and institutional resources

Abstract

This project aims to investigate the connections between faculty members' pedagogical strategies when utilizing violent content in classrooms and when handing student disclosures of trauma within a Midwestern university. Twenty-one faculty members were interviewed for this project. From the data gained in these interviews, this document focuses on how faculty construct their pedagogical praxis, how faculty navigate classroom dynamics, and how faculty understand university resources designed for themselves and students. Faculty members expressed the lack of training on pedagogy, as well as a lack of resources on campus for them regarding pedagogical practice. This translated to over half of the respondents having students presenting concerns about the class. Those professors who had students come to them focused on validating concerns, apologizing, suggesting university resources, and utilizing preemptive strategies to try and mitigate future concerns. The resource most utilized by faculty members for students is mental health services. In assessing these dynamics faculty members were asked for suggestions on solutions that would be most impactful for them and their colleagues which are discussed further in this text. Understanding what faculty need for support in these matters will help both faculty work environment, as well as, creating a more trauma informed campus for student survivors of violence.