Dr. Adam Alvarez was teaching in a residential treatment facility in Austin when he noticed many of his elementary students carrying trauma shaped by their experiences both inside and outside the classroom. What often appeared as misbehavior was frequently misinterpreted.
That changed when students were invited to share what they were experiencing.
"They came alive," Alvarez said. "When adults invited them to share their perspectives and help shape solutions, you could see the difference."
Alvarez, now an associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University, says that experience helped shape his research. He is now exploring how schools can move beyond traditional approaches to trauma-informed education through one simple but impactful idea:
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Students should not just receive support — they should also help design it.
Rethinking student mental health
Alvarez’s latest research, co-authored with Dr. Addison Duane of California State University, Sacramento, focuses on Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), an approach that positions students as research partners in identifying challenges and improving their school environments.
Instead of conducting research on students, YPAR allows them to collaborate alongside educators to ask questions, gather information and create change.
Drawing from 19 studies involving nearly 400 youth and young adults from about fifth grade up to age 24, Alvarez found that the approach strengthens students’ confidence, relationships and sense of belonging. YPAR also shifts students from passive participants to active contributors in shaping their environments.
This research comes at a critical time for students, as they encounter pressures such as family challenges, economic uncertainty and constant exposure to crises through social media and elsewhere online. These experiences can influence how safe they feel in the classroom, how they connect with others and how they engage in learning.
While many schools have adopted trauma-informed practices, they are often designed and delivered to students without fully incorporating their lived experiences. Alvarez’s work highlights that trauma is not only an individual experience but is also shaped by broader environments that include schools themselves.
By listening more intentionally to students, schools can better understand and respond to those realities.
When students help lead
Alvarez found that when students have a meaningful role in shaping their environments through collaborative research, the results are significant.
"They are more likely to take ownership of their learning, build positive relationships with adults and see school as a place where their experiences and ideas matter," he said.
Across the studies reviewed, students collaborated with educators to improve school environments, examine policies and address challenges affecting their communities.
Some students presented their findings to school leaders, building leadership and collaboration skills while fostering a sense of agency and belonging that supports healing.
One of the key insights from Alvarez’s work is that healing does not happen in isolation.
Students who take part in these approaches often develop greater self-awareness and stronger relationships with their peers and adults. This helps build trust, reduce isolation and create supportive networks within schools.
Schools also become more responsive to students’ needs by creating space for collaboration and shared understanding. This approach is grounded in trust and partnership and supports healing and long-term success for students.
In practice, this work can begin with small but meaningful changes.
Teachers might invite students to help shape classroom expectations or discuss school policies. "If more schools built in structured ways for students to share their experiences and shape solutions, we would expect to see stronger partnerships between families, students and educators," Alvarez said.
Over time, these changes can lead to more supportive learning environments where students feel heard, valued and empowered to contribute.
Research with real-world impact
Alvarez’s article has been published in the Review of Educational Research, widely regarded as the top journal in the field, and builds on his previously published work on youth trauma in schools. He hopes this work can help families and educators rethink how they support young people.
"Children’s behavior is often a form of communication, especially when the weight of what they’re carrying is hard to put into words," Alvarez said.
"When we slow down enough to listen, set clear boundaries and invite students into problem-solving rather than only reacting with punishment, we not only support learning – we also show them that adults can be steady partners in their growth."
