Collective Trauma and Trauma-Informed Practices in Higher Education

Abstract

Collective trauma has reshaped higher education in ways that extend well beyond students’ mental health. It has also altered teaching practices, participation in learning, and the everyday functioning of academic institutions. Guided by Collective Trauma Theory, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, and trauma-informed education, this study examined how students and teachers experienced collective trauma during a period of widespread social disruption and considered the educational responses that may support mental health, resilience, and meaningful learning. Using a descriptive-exploratory mixed-methods design with a convergent parallel approach, data were gathered through online surveys and open-ended narratives from 445 university students and 129 faculty members at a state university in the Philippines. Quantitative responses were summarized through descriptive statistics, while qualitative accounts were examined using thematic analysis. Both groups reported persistent anxiety, stress, emotional exhaustion, and academic burnout, although the pressures took different forms. Students described fear of loss, overthinking, family conflict, financial insecurity, and demanding academic requirements. Teachers emphasized heavier workloads, changing instructional modalities, health concerns, and employment-related pressures. Spirituality, support from family and peers, time in nature, sleep, and creative expression were among the most common ways of coping. Participants also stressed the value of flexible teaching, regular kamustahan or emotional check-ins, compassionate communication, and supportive learning environments. The findings suggest that personal coping is not enough when institutional conditions continue to generate distress. Trauma-informed higher education therefore requires coordinated changes that embed psychological safety, relational care, flexible pedagogy, accessible mental health services, and culturally responsive practices in institutional policy. Self-narratives, digital storytelling, reflective journaling, and expressive arts may further support emotional processing and engagement when used as optional elements within a broader system of care. The study proposes an integrated framework for building universities that are more compassionate, resilient, inclusive, and responsive to present and future collective crises.