At the Center of Care: Exploring Early Childhood Educators’ Trauma-Informed Practices in a Post-Earthquake Context

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Caring for Teachers: Stress, Isolation, and Collective Well-Being

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the trauma-informed care practices of early childhood educators working in regions affected by the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. Using phenomenological methods, the study utilized semi-structured interviews with six teachers, using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that teachers developed emotional labor, relational resilience, and coping strategies to address systemic gaps as they reconstructed their post-disaster pedagogies. Responding to the call to imagine the future without forgetting the past, this study positions teachers as both survivors and caregivers and offers alternative pedagogical visions for an equitable educational future.

Authors

• Fatma Merve Yozgatli, Indiana University

• Ela Sumeyye Secim, The Ohio State University