Caring for Teachers: Exploring Pre-Service Teacher Well-Being, Self-Efficacy, and Vicarious Trauma
Abstract
Teachers play an integral role in the lives and development of the students they teach. Many students are exposed to trauma and can experience mental health problems that can show up in the classroom context, making the school a natural environment for detection and response of these concerns. Unfortunately, the lack of appropriate teacher education on supporting students of diverse mental health needs can leave them feeling helpless and ill-equipped. In this current study, 236 teacher candidates enrolled in an online mental health course completed a survey examining their self-efficacy, well-being, and vicarious trauma. Correlation results indicated significant associations between the factors, with the exception of vicarious trauma with workload well-being and efficacy for managing disruptive behaviour. Overall, results suggested that higher well-being was positively associated with self-efficacy and the acknowledgement and coping of vicarious trauma. Implications for school mental health and teacher education are discussed along with consideration of future research.