Cognitive and affective student reactions to a historical trauma teaching module

Recent federal and the Council of Social Work reports focus on historical trauma, with national-level agencies citing the concept as an explanatory factor for contemporary tribal disparities that must be considered in service delivery. Historical trauma literature involving American Indians and Alaska Natives has increased steadily since the 1990s. However, there is a lack of research regarding social work students’ reaction to historical trauma content. This qualitative study explored student affective and cognitive responses following an American Indian and Alaska Native historical trauma-teaching module. Findings revealed a variety of reactions to the material that educators must consider in teaching to realize the Educational and Policy Accreditation Standards.