Name: Erin K. Silva, Masters in Secondary Education

Title: Building KINNECTions: Utilizing the Trauma-Informed Approach to Improve Student Behavior and Academic Performance in a Social Studies 9^th Grade Classroom

Abstract: 

Post-pandemic, many students in secondary education expressed signs of aggression or social emotional trauma due to the complexities associated with extended isolation. Very few research studies can be found on the implementation of a step-by-step trauma-informed curriculum, but a multimodal approach known as KINNECT has claimed mild success in residential treatment centers across Iowa. The purpose of this study was to implement KINNECT’s trauma-informed curriculum into a Title I, urban-fringe high school classroom for four weeks to determine if it could find success improving behavior and academic performance in a public education setting. Initial data was collected utilizing a pre-questionnaire to calculate the percentage and levels of complex traumas that participants had experienced in their 14-15 years of life. Once analyzed, each 90-minute block period followed the pre-set KINNECT curriculum. Participants took part in appreciation circles, team-building games, and Tai Chi breathing exercises to determine if utilizing the KINNECT model could achieve a 20% increase in assessment scores and a 20% decrease in negative behaviors exhibited in the classroom. With the use of Emotional Regulation surveys and weekly data triangulation of grade percentages and benchmark assessment scores, the teacher action researcher was able to see promising changes. Results indicated that students were engaged in the adaptation of the KINNECT model and exceeded the 20% improvement goal for academic performance. Student behavior also improved and data determined that redirected behaviors reduced by nearly 10%. The significance of these findings indicate that a lengthier study and the use of a control group for comparative analysis would be beneficial in the future to determine if trauma-informed curriculum supports long-term growth in adolescent youth.

Keywords: trauma-informed approach, secondary education, KINNECT model, academic and behavioral intervention