Fostering resilience in higher education: exploring trauma-informed pedagogy through expressive writing practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi35.1329Keywords:
resilience, trauma-informed pedagogy, expressive writingAbstract
Amidst the adversity of conflict, the educational landscape is severely disrupted, causing students to face profound emotional and psychological challenges. Traumatic experiences jeopardise students' ability to succeed in their academic pursuits, regulate their emotions, and create meaningful social relationships.
This paper delves into the transformative potential of expressive writing in a second language (L2) as a therapeutic tool for fostering resilience among Ukrainian English language students affected by the ongoing war. Pennebaker and Beall's (1986) Written Emotional Disclosure (WED) Paradigm and Carello's (2020) Principles of Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning (TITL) are employed as frameworks to facilitate the intervention of expressive writing practices.
Drawing on the exploratory research conducted with 30 Ukrainian university students, this study presents empirical insights into the impact of L2 expressive writing on emotional regulation and resilience. The study incorporated trauma-informed pedagogy principles to create a culturally-sensitive, compassionate learning environment for research participants.
Intervention sessions featured various forms of expression, including poetry, reflective writing, narrative writing, free writing, and journaling, which also incorporated mindfulness exercises. Samples of the writing journals are presented to demonstrate students' progress and provide qualitative insights into how these practices have contributed to their resilience and coping strategies during times of conflict. Thematic analysis of participants' feedback revealed central themes of emotional management, resilience, gratitude, self-awareness, and personal growth.
By providing empirical evidence and methodological insights tailored to the Ukrainian context, this research contributes to the development of a resilience-oriented curriculum and L2 therapeutic intervention for supporting Ukrainian students in their healing journey.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Resilience. In APA dictionary of psychology. Available at: https://dictionary.apa.org/resilience (Accessed: 6 February 2025).
Broekaert, E., Vandevelde, S., and Briggs, D. (2011) 'The postmodern application of holistic education’, Therapeutic Communities, 32(1), pp.18-34. Available at: https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/2062481 (Accessed: 6 February 2025)
Carello, J. (2020) Examples of trauma-informed teaching and learning in college classrooms. Available at: https://traumainformedteaching.blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/examples-of-titl-in-college-classrooms-3.2020-color-3.pdf (Accessed: 19 March 2024).
Carello, J., and Thompson, P. (eds) (2021). Lessons from the pandemic: Trauma-informed approaches to college, crisis, and change. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Carello, J., and Thompson, P. (2022) 'What are we centering? Developing a trauma-informed syllabus', in P. Thompson and J. Carello (eds) Trauma-informed pedagogies: a guide for responding to crisis and inequality in higher education. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.203-218. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92705-9_17
Carvalho Fernando, S., Beblo, T., Schlosser, N., Terfehr, K., Otte, C., Löwe, B., Wolf, O.T., Spitzer, C., et al. (2014) 'The impact of self-reported childhood trauma on emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder and major depression’, Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 15(4), pp.384-401. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2013.863262
De Muijnck, D. (2022) 'Narrative, memory and PTSD: a case study of autobiographical narration after trauma’, European Journal of Life Writing, 11, pp.75-95. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21827/ejlw.11.38659
Du, H., King, R.B., and Chi, P. (2017) ‘Self-esteem and subjective well-being revisited: the roles of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem’, PLoS ONE, 12(8). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183958
Elliott, K., and Urquiza, A. (2006) 'Ethnicity, culture, and child maltreatment', Journal of Social Issues, 62(4), pp.787-809. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2006.00487.x
Emmons, R.A., and McCullough, M.E. (2003) 'Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(3), pp.377-389. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
Foa, E.B., and Kozak, M.J. (1986) 'Emotional processing of fear: exposure to corrective information’, Psychological Bulletin, 99(1), pp.20-35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.99.1.20
Frattaroli, J., Thomas, M., and Lyumomirsky, S. (2011) 'Opening up in the classroom: effects of expressive writing on graduate school entrance exam performance’, Emotion, 11(4), pp.691-696. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022946
Gair, S. (2012) 'Haiku as a creative writing approach to explore empathy with social work students: a classroom-based inquiry,' Journal of Poetry Therapy, 25(2), pp.69-82. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08893675.2012.680717
Golzar, J., and Miri, M.A. (2022) 'Second language expressive writing in times of global crisis: poetry as a humanistic practice', in Information Resources Management Association (ed) Research Anthology on Applied Linguistics and Language Practices. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, pp.785-802. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-5682-8.ch037
Gortner, E.M., Rude, S.S., and Pennebaker, J.W. (2006) 'Benefits of expressive writing in lowering rumination and depressive symptoms’, Behavior Therapy, 37(3), pp.292-303. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2006.01.004
Hanauer, D.I. (2012) 'Meaningful literacy: writing poetry in the language classroom', Language Teaching, 45(1), pp.105-115. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444810000522
Harvey, O., and Oliver, L. (2024) 'The use of poetry in form of haikus as a tool for critical reflection’, Social Work Education, pp.1-19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2024.2341868
Imad, M. (2020) 'Leveraging the neuroscience of now: seven recommendations for helping students thrive in times of trauma’, Inside Higher Ed, 2 June. Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2020/06/03/seven-recommendations-helping-students-thrive-times-trauma (Accessed: 19 March 2024).
Kato, J., and Hitsuwari, J. (2024) ‘Association between the creative experience of haiku poetry and a tendency toward self-transcendent emotions', Journal of Creative Behavior, 58(3), pp.313-320. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.657
Kern, A. (2018) The Penguin Book of Haiku. New York: Penguin Random House.
Klein, K., and Boals, A. (2001) 'Expressive writing can increase working memory capacity’, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130(3), pp.520-533. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.130.3.520
Ledesma, J. (2014) 'Conceptual frameworks and research models on resilience in leadership,' Sage Open, 4(3), pp.1-8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014545464
Logan, M. (2020) Self-Love Workbook for Women. Berkeley, CA: Rockridge Press.
Lumley, M.A., and Provenzano, K.M. (2003) 'Stress management through written emotional disclosure improves academic performance among college students with physical symptoms’, Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(3), pp.641-649. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.3.641
Luthar, S.S., Cicchetti, D., and Becker, B. (2000) 'The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work', Child Development, 71(3), pp.543-562. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00164
McBride, N. (2020). Resilience Questionnaire Nicholson McBride Resilience Questionnaire (NMRQ). UK: NHS England & Wales.
McEwen, B.S., Bowles, N.P., Gray, J.D., Hill, M.N., Hunter, R.G., Karatsoreos, I.N., and Nasca, C. (2015) 'Mechanisms of stress in the brain’, Nature Neuroscience, 18(10), pp.1353-1363. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4086
Oehlberg, B. (2012) Ending the Shame: Transforming Public Education So It Works for All Students. Pittsburgh, PA: Rose Dog Books.
Panter‐Brick, C., and Leckman, J.F. (2013) 'Editorial commentary: resilience in child development – interconnected pathways to wellbeing’, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), pp.333-336. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12057
Patton, M.Q. (2014) Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. 4th edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Pennebaker, J.W., and Beall, S.K. (1986) 'Confronting a traumatic event: toward an understanding of inhibition and disease’, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95(3), pp.274-281. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.95.3.274
Pennebaker, J.W., and Evans, J.E. (2014) Expressive Writing: Words that Heal. Parkton, MD: Idyll Arbor, Inc.
Ramirez, G., and Beilock, S.L. (2011) 'Writing about testing worries boosts exam performance in the classroom’, Science, 331(6014), pp.211-213. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199427
Rice, K.F., and Groves, B.M. (2005) Hope and healing: A caregiver’s guide to helping young children affected by trauma. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
Rowell, K., and Thomley, R. (2013) Recovering Emotionally from Disaster. Available at https://www.apa.org/topics/disasters-response/recovering (Accessed: 10 March 2024).
Rutter, M. (2006) 'Implications of resilience concepts for scientific understanding’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1094, pp.1-12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1376.002
SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative (2014) SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. Available at https://ncsacw.acf.hhs.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf (Accessed: 29 March 2024).
Seery, M. (2011) 'Resilience: a silver lining to experiencing adverse life events?’, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(6), pp.390-394. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411424740
Sheldon, K.M., and Lyubomirsky, S. (2006) 'How to increase and sustain positive emotion: the effects of expressing gratitude and visualizing best possible selves’, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(2), pp.73-82. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17439760500510676
Smith, D. (2019) Grow Your Own Happiness: How to Harness the Science of Wellbeing for Life. London: Octopus.
Toepfer, S.M., and Walker, K. (2009) 'Letters of gratitude: Improving well-being through expressive writing’, Journal of Writing Research, 1(3), pp.181-198. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2009.01.03.1
Venet, A.S. (2021) Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.
Williams, A. (2020) 'Early childhood trauma impact on adolescent brain development, decision making abilities, and delinquent behaviors: policy implications for juveniles tried in adult court systems’, Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 71(1), pp.5-17. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12157
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
