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Research Paper | Psychology | Kenya | Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2023
The Extent of Vicarious Trauma among Teachers Working in Educational Assessment and Resource Centers in Kenya
Solomon Musembi Wambua | Samuel Juma [3]
Abstract: In Kenya, basic education is free and compulsory and necessary efforts are employed to ensure compliance. Towards this end, the government has established educational assessment and resource centers (EARCs) across the country to support children with disabilities access education. However, Secondary exposure such as vicarious trauma (VT) among teachers working in EARCs may limit their capacity for quality assessment hence need for study. This study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive research design where the two-stage cluster sampling was used to select assessment centers and representative teachers. The Vicarious Traumatization Scale (VTS) by Middleton (2011) was used to gather data from one hundred and seven teachers. The scale is designed to detect disruptions in the cognitive schemas of the caregiver?s identity and belief system. The study revealed that all teachers in EARCs experienced VT to some extent with 41.25% at a low level and 48.3% at a moderate. This is indicative that VT was a real threat to the teachers and is likely to interfere with their capacity to deliver quality assessment outcomes. This study was conducted in EARCs and the findings may not be generalizable to other professionals working with children with disabilities. Nevertheless, it be may replicated for comparative purposes. Identifying the extent of VT among different professionals who work with children with disabilities may provide useful information on how to support them improve the quality of services and consequently enhance access to education.
Keywords: Disability, assessment. vicarious trauma, interventions
Edition: Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2023,
Pages: 1357 - 1361