Teaching in troubling times: the effects of political climate in classrooms

Abstract

Since the 2016 presidential election, changes to American policies and divisive rhetoric from politicians have resulted in a challenging political climate. For Catholic schools, which in many areas of the U.S. serve a large number of marginalised students, the changes in political climate have been felt acutely and addressed publicly. Little is known about how students and teachers are being affected by these changes. This study examines Catholic teachers’ beliefs and behaviours to address the political climate in classrooms. Findings highlight the need to assist teachers with identifying resources for families.

Keywords:

• political climate
• stress
• U.S. presidential election 2016
• teacher beliefs
• teacher needs

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Stephenson, PhD is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration.

Karen ‘Karie’ Huchting, PhD is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration and Associate Director of the EdD in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.

Notes

1 In November 2016, Donald Trump was elected the 45th American President. This election marked a transition from democratic President Barack Obama, the first Black president in American history, to a republican president. Trump took office in January of 2017 after a contentious campaign against democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who, if elected, would have been the first female president in American history. As such, the overlay of race and gender in addition to differing political views created divisive rhetoric and a challenging political climate. Following Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, numerous changes in policies and social issues ensued. (For a timeline of Trump’s first year in office, see Beckwith 2018).

2 The Trump administration has implemented numerous high-profile policy changes since taking office in 2017. Some of these include: implementation of a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on illegal immigration, resulting in arrests, deportations, and separation of families at the U.S. border (see Pierce and Selee 2017; Roth et al. 2018).

3 For these items, the use of an even-point Likert scale was implemented to force a response indicating a clear negative or positive opinion (Sudman, Bradburn, and Schwartz 1996).

4 Free Application for Federal Student Aid. US students complete this electronic form to apply for grants, loans, and scholarships to pay for higher education.

5 See Buetow (1970) and Walch (2003) for more information on the history of Catholic education in the United States.

6 Trauma-Informed Teaching is a pedagogical approach guided by three fundamental principles for teachers: creating an educational environment that ensures safety, builds connections, and supports the development of coping skills (Bath 2015; Crosby 2015). A classroom environment that meets children’s needs for security and consistency allows them to focus on typical developmental skills, while a strong sense of belonging to the community reassures children of their community’s commitment to their care. Finally, through intentional classroom climate and activities, teachers can support students in developing resilience and emotional regulation. While these teaching practices can benefit all students, they are particularly valuable for supporting students who have experienced adverse and traumatic events. Taken together, these pillars of Trauma-Informed Teaching practices can create classroom spaces where healing can occur.